Dolores, Hip Replacement

She had injections, paid visits to the chiropractor and even tried various orthopedic procedures. Nothing seemed to help.

Dolores has a contagious laugh and an energy that proves she never meets a stranger. She loves riding bikes and planting flowers in her garden. She even stays active cleaning for the environmental services department at Bristol Regional Medical Center, where she has worked for nine years. She rarely slows down.

About five years ago, her leg started giving her problems. “I just wasn’t walking right. My leg kept hurting me. I actually thought I had arthritis,” she says. She had injections, paid visits to the chiropractor and even tried various orthopedic procedures. Nothing seemed to help. After nearly two years of her putting off the inevitable, Dr. Lisle Whitman told her it was time for a hip replacement.

Dolores had undergone surgeries before, but the idea of hip replacement surgery made her nervous. She’s never liked to take medicine or to be put to sleep for procedures. But she also had worked on the floor where the joint replacement center at Bristol Regional was located, which gave her a sneak peek at the kind of care she could expect. It’s also where she met her best friend Cindy Peters, an orthopedic nurse at Bristol Regional. Cindy, too, told her it was time to get the surgery and helped to ease her fears. Dr. Whitman was quick to put her worries to rest as well. “He was absolutely wonderful,” she recalls.

On June 21, 2016, Dolores underwent surgery to get an artificial hip implant. Everything went smoothly and the pain wasn’t bad at all, she says. She barely remembers the weeks of recovery. And, true to form, she made a point to stay active as much as possible around the house.

Weeks after surgery, she was back at work at Bristol Regional. Soon after that, she was gardening and riding bikes again.

“She had an amazing outcome,” recalls Cindy. Weeks after surgery, she was back at work at Bristol Regional. Soon after that, she was gardening and riding bikes again. The only time she feels a hint of pain in her hip now is sometimes when it’s about to rain or a cold snap is coming. Cindy says they are now “back in business” again and can travel more and go shopping all day long. “After her hip replacement, Dolores got back on her feet again and had more interest in life.”

As for her bucket list? Dolores was more determined than ever before to zip line after spotting one at an arts and crafts festival. Before surgery, Dolores would not have been able to zip line. But this past September, Dolores and her best friend Cindy made it happen. Up next? She wants to parachute out of an airplane

“Now that I’ve gotten my hip replaced, I can get back to the things I’ve always wanted to do,” she says with a giggle. “I was able to get Cindy to zip line with me, but I might not be able to find someone to go parachuting with me. But that’s OK. I’ll do it by myself. I don’t mind a bit.”

Is hip replacement for you?

If you think surgery might help you get moving again – like it did for Dolores – learn more about total hip replacement here.