Customer Reviews

Getting Hip: Recovery From A Total Hip Replacement

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Having read "Getting Hip" in order to review it for seniors magazines and additional newspapers, I can now say that I would direct anyone in search of information about hip replacements to this book. This is not a fluffy book! You will be awakened to both the positive and the uncomfortable journey of total hip replacement, and you will be glad you were given the whole picture. The author is more than an excellent writer and storyteller, she is a long-time social justice activist who wants the best for the consumer in need of a hip replacement. With "Getting Hip" you'll be surprised how aware you'll become; you'll know the questions to ask your doctor and you'll know how to prepare yourself from beginning to end.
Best Wishes on your journey!

Sigrid McDonald has done a fine job explaining what it's like to go through a total hip replacement from start to finish. She talks about the deterioration of her joint, which she broke in a car accident, and how she had to have a THR in her late forties. She has a good sense of humor and the book is well organized. Many aspects of total hip surgery are covered here from questions we have about how to prepare for the operation to the risks of the surgery to the fine points of rehabilitation.

I had both my hips replaced five years ago(bilateral THR) and I've done very well since then. I do have some residual pain but in general, I golf, play doubles tennis, swim and have basically resumed my previous activities. The reason this book interested me was because even though my hips feel fine now, I'm only 62 and there's a chance that I may need revision surgery at some point in my life. This book has a chapter on how to take care of a new prosthesis and that appealed to me. I don't want to do anything that may result in me having to have a revision any sooner than I need one!

It's also available as an e-book, which is how I read it.

"Getting Hip" is the first person account of Sigrid Macdonald, who went through a Total Hip Replacement Surgery and felt the need to share her experience before, during and after surgery.

At places poignant, at places serious and at some places humorous, the book gives a detailed account of what is involved in a Total Hip Replacement Surgery, including the decision to go in for the surgery, type of implant to be selected (given a choice) and what to expect in terms of pain, restrictions on movement and post-surgery life style etc. The author has referred to several books on the subject and has added her own wisdom to the subject. Thus you may check this book out before buying any other book on this subject. That may save you not only money but a lot of time and effort.

One interesting feature of the book is the chapter dealing with the experiences of other people who underwent similar surgery. The widely different experiences of these people confirm the author's own experience that when it comes to a major issue, each individual has a different experience and while other's experience has some educational value, that does not and cannot form a benchmark. That is one of the important message of this good book.

The bibliography and electronic references given at the end of the book add value to the book. The last chapter dealing with the Future of Hip Replacements is a little broad and should be taken as the author's perception of various bits and pieces collected in the course of her extensive reading and interaction. In my view, brand names of drugs should be acknowledged as such and wherever possible, generic names of the drugs should be preferred.

The book doesn't deal with alternative or complementary aspects of health care in detail since the author is totaly dependent on the Canadian Health care system, which is dependent on the main stream medical knowledge, and also since the author did not have very favorable experiences. Many people are however trying out alternative systems like herbal supplements, Homeopathy, Acupuncture etc., because of the adverse side effects of the main stream drugs.

I found some sentence usage patterns in the book rather odd, but probably these are country specific and in any case there is no difficulty in understanding the text.

If you are considering a hip replacement or if you need to support a friend or relative who is contemplating such a surgery and are looking for a layperson's perspective of what is involved in a major surgical operation like Total Hip Replacement, this book is certainly recommended.

This book is also worth taking a look at if you are in the health care profession, since it gives you the perspective from the customer's point of view.

I thought the book was very scarey in the author's view of her hip replacement. She seemed to have a lot of other problems, not only physical but mental. I bought the book for my husband who is having the surgery in the near future. This book was so negative and disheartening,I never let him read it.He did read two other books which were much more informative,and written in a more positive format.

I am a 40 year old woman living in Norway. I had my first hip surgery 14 years ago. I had bilateral surgery called "Salters Osteotomi", but I still had some pain in my right hip after the surgery. As time went by(?) I got more and more pain. To make a long story short I had a new surgery four weeks ago:"Birmingham hip resurface".

I always felt a bit alone concerning my hip-problems. Some days before my last surgery I found the book "Getting hip" at the internet.

As sone as I was able to (some weeks after the surgery) I started to read it. I am not used to read books in English, but this book I just had to read! Reading the book "Getting hip" made me more confident in a way. The history of Sigrid and my own hip history is different in many ways, but we also have a lot in common. After reading the book I felt I got more perspective on my own situation.

My 15 years old daughter read some of the book while I stayed at the hospital. I guess she was a bit more prepared getting her mother home from hospital. When she vistited me at the hopital she was a bit proud telling me things from the book.

I've two kids (age 5 and 15). The oldest girl was 1-3 years old last time I had hip surgeries. The only thing I miss in Sigrids book is someone telling about having smal children/hip problems. Its a challenge!

I gave the book five stars. I think It would be nice to have a book like this in an Scandinavian language (Norwegian, Danish or Sweedish)

Norway, 17.dec 04

Inger

I'm getting ready for hip surgery and I'm really nervous about it. This book helped to give me practical ideas about how to cope on crutches or a walker - I've never used either - and how to get my house organized before surgery. I want everything above waist level since I won't be able to bend to the floor or reach while sitting (this will flex my hip beyond a 90 degree angle) for some time.

The author is pragmatic and tells it like it is. I didn't like reading that carrying extra weight hurts the prosthesis because I have 35 pounds to lose. Ack!! Maybe some weight will slide off when I'm eating that gourmet hospital food :-)

Judi

This book was different from other books I read on hip replacement. It had a more personal touch. The author told her story in a way that made me feel as though I really knew her. I learned a lot about how to prepare for surgery and what to do to make my implant last longer. I had my right hip replaced three years ago and everything went like clockwork. I didn't have any difficulty or complications with my recovery nor did I have as much pain as Sigrid. But I found her book really interesting and thorough. Also, she has a great section on Internet resources and talks about different coatings for uncemented implants, stem cell regeneration, and different experimental compounds that can be injected into the joint that may prevent or delay the need for a THR. All in all, an excellent read , even for someone who's already had the surgery.

Stewart

this book is a personal and informative look at what can be a traumatic time for someone undergoing this procedure. she writes from her own experience and the reader can live it. this should be helpful for someone who is about to have hip replacement surgury. she writes about the fears and anxiety someone might have but also how one gets through it. it is a good look at what one might expect.

I read this book 9 months after having simultaneous bilateral total hip replacements. In my opinion, it is the best book out there that documents what those in need of a total hip replacement are experiencing, from the onset of the symptoms of hip pain, to the procedure itself, and through the recovery process. I wish I had known about this book prior to my surgery, and during my recovery. Most helpful to me was the point that was made that there is no "gold standard" for recovery, and that, while all patients will experience much of the same in terms of the recovery process, we will all require different amounts of time to recover. The book is an easy, fun read. I was constantly reminded of events that I had experienced over the previous 3 or 4 years, preop and postop. At the time I would wonder if I was the only person to have had those feelings. It was great comfort to me to know that my experience was not so out of the ordinary as I had once thought. Two thumbs up!!.

I've been waiting for more than a year for my hip replacement and I've been going crazy with the pain and frustration. It was nice to read about a fellow Canadian, who had to wait such a long time for surgery. Something is very wrong with our medical system!

Segrid does a good job of explaining what it is like to sit back and watch your joint deteriorate when there is noothing that you can do to push up the surgery. But she has great advice for coping during the long wait and she seems to be doing amazing right now after her surgery. That makes me feel hopeful that I will also be relieved of this terrible pain once I finally have my THR. I would recommend this book. I also liked the writing style.