Tr a i n e r Pe r s p e c t i v e
The Rocky Road Back
Two Hip Replacements Later ...
irst and foremost , I would like to
Fthank Cor , Kenny , and Laurie for the support over the last four years . Working at the Fitness Incentive builds your stamina emotionally and physically .
During that period I lost both my parents within two years and was the recipient of two full hip replacements . I could not have pressed on without all the help and support of my family , my other half and all my family at FI . My hip story began one day when I was running , and I had this constant pain in my hip . It was easier to run , believe it or not , than walk . And of course , I continued running , hoping the pain was a result of not stretching . Stretching is a very important component of exercising , which often is highly neglected . Every injury I had ever experienced was due to a lack of stretching , so it was natural to assume that my hip was yet another . After six months of limping and thinking maybe it ' s bursitis , I go for an x-ray . I make an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon . Well , he informed me I was born with Hip Dysplasia . It went undetected at birth . He informed me if
26 by Christine Calumet
I continued to run , jump or do any compressive exercise , I would be a candidate for a full hip replacement within a year . I ran five miles a day , six days a week , took aerobics , step , did high jump equestrian classes , and body boarded . I was , to say the least , dumbfounded . I felt like someone pulled the rug out from under me . Here I am moving on after the loss of my folks , and it ' s exercise that is helping me move on .
So , yes , I did slow down a bit . But of course , I didn ' t completely take the surgeon ' s suggestions . And , what do you think the result was ? Yep , almost a year to the date of my consult I was crippled . I could hardly walk . Simply getting in and out of the car was intensely painful . I had torn my labrum which affects your inner thigh , adductor , muscles . I couldn ' t turn over in bed without holding the side of the bed to flip over . Any injury affects the whole kinetic chain of your body , so my back would go into spasms due to the imbalance of my gait . I had to stop personal training in June . I was laid up on the couch the whole summer - my favorite time of the year - because I could hardly walk . In the past , I would body board first thing in the morning and go back for a sunset surf . No longer .
I had many consults with different surgeons , and I chose a surgeon from Stony Brook , Dr . Kahn . His credentials , medical background , and demeanor were all I needed to book my surgery with him .
My first surgery was scheduled for August 2nd . Well , not the case . I had a situation that prevented my first surgery , so I booked for a second time on August 15th . Nope - had to cancel again because while I am home going out of my flipping mind I decided to groom my shrubs . Well , unbeknownst to me , they were filled ' with not just Poison Ivy , but Poison Oak , and Sumac , too . And this story gets better . It ' s almost comical . I found out I was highly allergic to urushiol , the “ poison ” in poison ivy and oak . A flipping nightmare ! So here we go
Spring 2017 FIT to Print
again . Let ' s book the surgery for September 5th . I was fortunate enough to enjoy my last few swims of summer . If the water was calm , Bobby would help me walk down to the ocean so I could go for a swim . When I arrived at Stony Brook , I couldn ' t even walk . Bobby had to carry me into the hospital . After surgery , Dr . Kahn informed us he couldn ' t even use the original prosthesis . My bones had completely collapsed .
All good … surgery done . I recovered amazingly well due to my level of fitness . My whole point of this story is how important exercise is to our wellbeing . It makes such a difference to stay fit .
I was on the road to recovery . Ah back to life !!
My surgeon informed that my other hip would eventually need to be replaced , but he felt I had a good five years . Nope !!! My other hip broke down within a year of the first surgery . I had x-rays in May of 2015 , and by October of 2015 , it had completely collapsed . It was bone to bone . You can ' t even imagine how surprised we all were . Surgery time again !!! December 9th , 2015 , I was the recipient of a full right hip replacement . This time the recovery was a bit slower and more difficult due to the decrease in my fitness since the first surgery . I definitely healed a bit more slowly . I cannot emphasize enough how important exercise , and yes , family and friends , are in your recovery .
am now the bionic woman . Two new
Ihips and busy getting on with the rest of life . Anyone that would like my assistance as their personal trainer or just a word of support , please feel free to contact me anytime . I have worked as a physical therapy aide , received a certification in Post Rehabilitation , Ace Certification , A . A . P . T . E from Hofstra University and an ECIT Certification .
Christine Calumet is a Certified Personal Trainer at Fitness Incentive