Hope After Unexpected Hip Surgery
When Ethan first felt a twinge of pain in his left hip, he thought nothing of it. As an avid CrossFit and cycling enthusiast in his athletic prime, he was accustomed to experiencing occasional soreness. Despite modifying his workouts, taking over-the-counter medications to relieve pain and inflammation, and seeing his chiropractor, the pain continued to worsen over the next week.
“I’m a veterinarian. I’ve always advised pet owners that no matter what condition their animal has, if there’s no improvement after a week, it’s time to try something different,” he shared. “So, I took my own advice.”
The pain had become so excruciating that the 34-year-old ended up in the Emergency Department, where he was prescribed pain medication and told to call an orthopaedic surgeon.
Ethan turned to his CrossFit group on Facebook about his plight and received multiple recommendations for Crystal Clinic. He scheduled an appointment with Dr. James Kennedy two days after his ER visit. The first of his five surgeries was scheduled two days after that initial consultation with Dr. Kennedy.
“Dr. Stemple told me that he’d have to cut out my entire hip,” Ethan said. “I asked him if I could get back to doing all the things I could before like deadlifting 400 pounds and cycling 100-mile trips. He told me, ‘let’s make sure you survive this and then we’ll talk about what you’ll be able to do.’ At the same time, I was telling him to take my leg off if that’s all that could be done to relieve my pain. I had a lot of cognitive dissonance going on!”
That fourth surgery took care of the staph infection. Two months later, Ethan underwent his fifth surgery. This time, for a total hip replacement. Following a few months of physical therapy, also with Crystal Clinic providers, Ethan had healed well enough to return to working out at the CrossFit gym.
“The physical therapists in Crystal Clinic’s Green office got me back to what I could do before. I had lost a lot of strength in my left leg,” Ethan said. “The PTs were very patient and adaptable. They offered me a customized rehab program to get back to my previous athletic level. It worked. Five months after my last surgery, I went to a CrossFit camp. Several months after that, I did a “Century” (100-mile) bike ride and last year I set personal records for squats.”
While Ethan still has deficits in some areas, he’s thrilled to get back to what he considers an incredible level.
“Being able to return to my favorite activities the way I have is a testament to Crystal Clinic’s surgeons and modern technology,” Ethan said. “I want to turn an awful thing into something good to help people. Maybe my story will help someone else have a better quality of life.”