Gill Moon
Gill, 60, now retired enjoys gardening, walking her dog, cycling, swimming, painting and DIY.
"Before the operation my life was governed by the pain from my hips. Generally my health was good but physical activity was getting very difficult. My doctor and a consultant in Exeter said I was too young for conventional total replacement hips. By this time I had had to give up work (sales and delivery, driving a van all over Devon and Cornwall). We had to change our car to an automatic as my left leg could not operate the clutch safely. I would depress the clutch then not be able to move for the pain, this was very frightening and of course dangerous.
"The pain experienced when moving from sitting or lying down to standing would make me cry out loud. My hips had no sideways movement but I could still walk short distances, once I got moving. By this time I was taking pain killers, anti-arthritis drugs and a muscle relaxant to help me sleep. I was also lying on an extra quilt with a pillow under my knees to get any comfort.
"After seeing a program on local TV about the life boat skipper from Falmouth who had both of his hips resurfaced, we investigated the Corin hip resurfacing procedure and contacted them for surgeons in our area. From then I had a consultation with Mr Mark Norton at the Duchy Hospital in Truro who said I was an ideal case for hip resurfacing. Although originally he planned to do a bi-lateral procedure (both hips at the same time), the week before my operation he had fresh guidelines to follow and did them separately.
"My left hip was the first to be done on 15 November 2003. When the physio did sideways abduction for the first time it was amazing. My leg hadn’t moved sideways like that for years. Recovery was slowed down because I had a drop foot after the operation due to stretching of the sciatic nerve. I had to be fitted with a splint for walking and climbing stairs and this was achieved within six days. With permission from Mr Norton, I drove the car after six weeks as it was an automatic.
"My right hip was done the following May (2004) and this time I had no problems at all post-op. I climbed stairs and had a shower in four days and went home on the fifth. Driving took longer this time but general mobility was quicker. I was walking my dog (on crutches with him off his lead) after three weeks. By September 2004 I drove from Santander to Barcelona and had a quite active sightseeing holiday. This year I have driven to Florence, Italy via the French Riviera, returning via Venice and the French Alps.
"I have a large garden and do all the grass cutting, pruning and weeding myself and have laid paving stones and made a new concrete step this year. My son moved into a new flat and I helped with the move and did a lot of the painting and decorating.
"At the moment I am concentrating on getting fit enough for a sponsored cycle ride across India by doing all my usual activities plus more cycling, swimming and aerobics. Doing this sponsored cycle ride means a lot to me from my personal experience of miscarriage, then having a baby girl with congenital heart problems who died aged three years. The chance to help other women achieve normal pregnancies and have healthy babies is a very worthwhile challenge. I was very lucky I got pregnant again and have a lovely son who is now 25.
"The operations have given me my life back to enjoy to the full. Now I can do anything I want. This sponsored cycle ride would have been impossible dream but now it can be reality."
