Stephanie Oldfield age 56 from Ickenham is back doing Zumba classes six weeks after total hip replacement surgery.
Stephanie started having problems when she was 50 and saw Mr Vedi who said that she would need a hip replacement in the next couple of years. She tried a cortisone injection which gave temporary relief but the pain returned. Stephanie gradually learnt to live with the pain but found keeping active strong and fit really helped.
She had many hobbies which she enjoyed –Zumba fitness classes, circuit training, walking, body boarding and Skiing but the pain gradually became more intense and she was needing to use painkillers more frequently.
Although Stephanie was really active – she was overweight and had osteoarthritis. Eventually she realised that her ability to continue enjoying an active lifestyle was diminishing as the pain and lack of mobility in her hip both worsened. She decided to see her GP, who referred her back to Mr Vedi.
Mr Vedi requested she have Xrays which showed she was completely bone-on-bone. The only option left was to have a hip replacement.
Stephanie felt extremely fearful about having surgery and losing more mobility, but Mr Vedi was very reassuring and clear about the procedure and she decided to go ahead with it. She had a spinal block and sedation which she found better than general anaesthetics she had had before. She was surprised by how little pain she had afterwards and how much she could do. She kept taking the painkillers and did her exercises. Stephanie was in hospital for two nights, coming out a day early as she managed to walk up and down the stairs with crutches unaided. Within a few days she was down to one crutch and by the end of the first week she could move around the house without crutches needing only one when she went out for walks. By six weeks she could walk over four miles without the need for a walking aid.
Stephanie said,‘‘I trust Mr Vedi implicitly. He has a very pleasant manner, immediately putting you at ease. He communicates well explaining clearly what the options are for your circumstance and what would and wouldn’t be beneficial. If I had known then what I know now, I’d have had my hip replaced sooner. It has been completely life changing making me realise what I had put up with for so long. It even improved my moods because the pain has all gone.’’
‘‘I started Zumba after six weeks and I have been continuing online ever since. My mobility continued to improve and I can now sit on the floor cross legged which I haven’t been able to do for 15 years. I can also sit on low sofas and now get up with no difficulty. I had a limp and slight stoop before surgery. Four months after my hip replacement I stand straight without a limp. I regularly walk 20K steps in a day. Mr Vedi has made everything so much easier and I feel I am getting stronger every day. I would definitely go back and have my other hip replaced by Mr Vedi if needed.’’