|
Mark was fit and active in his mid-50's when in 2007 he took what he thought was a simple fall 30 miles into a 100-mile bike race. "I landed hard and thought, ‘I hope I haven't broken anything,' but I got up," says Mark who kept on riding and finished the race with searing pain in his right knee. To view this video, as well as other videos from Johnson & Johnson, visit the Johnson & Johnson Health Channel on YouTube: |
Mark was fit and active in his mid-50's when in 2007 he took what he thought was a simple fall 30 miles into a 100-mile bike race. "I landed hard and thought, ‘I hope I haven't broken anything,' but I got up," says Mark who kept on riding and finished the race with searing pain in his right knee.
More than a simple fall
Within a week an ugly bruise went from his knee all the way to his hip. But x-rays showed nothing wrong with his knee. Weeks passed and his pain got worse. The father of three was almost unable to move. He was diagnosed with a torn thigh muscle and scheduled for surgery.
But just before the surgery was to have taken place, Mark's swollen leg hurt so much that medication made little difference. He lay on his back in the family station wagon as his wife took him to the emergency room. There a doctor thought his pain was too high for a torn muscle and took another x-ray. A full month after the bike accident Mark learned he had broken his hip. And, because so much time had passed, his hip needed to be replaced.
"I lost it. In my mind, I was completely unprepared for the diagnosis and the treatment," says Mark who thought he was too young and fit to need a hip replacement. "There's a whole emotional piece I faced, wondering if I could ever regain my level of fitness, get back to the person I used to be."
His Daughter’s Encouragement
Mark's oldest daughter was there for her father with caring cards that showed her sense of what he was going through and her hope for his recovery. "I'll never forget one card where she drew a series of little pictures, me being in the hospital, and then me on crutches, and the final scene was me on a bike and the crutches in a trash can," he says, recalling her support.
Mark was transferred to another hospital where he underwent hip replacement surgery, receiving a Pinnacle® Hip with TrueGlide™ technology, from DePuy Orthopaedics
Moving Again with a New Hip
With his new hip, Mark is one example of how DePuy is helping people to never stop moving. One month after surgery Mark's surgeon cleared him to go to the gym. "I went that very same day and tried out the stationary bike," Mark says. "It hurt, but I did it."
Two weeks later Mark was on his own bike and never looked back. Today he continues to ride and looks for ways to reassure other people who face joint replacement that it doesn't mean an end to their activities. "I'm like every other 'weekend warrior' with my bicycling," says Mark. "I feel like I got my life back."
As with any medical treatment, individual results may vary. Only an orthopaedic surgeon can determine whether an orthopaedic implant is an appropriate course of treatment. There are potential risks, and recovery takes time. The performance of the new joint depends on weight, activity level, age, and other factors.
To learn more:
DePuy USA
Or call 1-866-245-1032 for a free information kit.
Hip Replacement.com
To view this video, as well as other videos from Johnson & Johnson, visit the Johnson & Johnson Health Channel on YouTube:
JNJHealth
