Patient Success Stories
Rowing on the St. Joe River after hip replacement surgery
Meet Joe: Athlete, POW, Former Governor
 Joe has always enjoyed living life to the fullest. After
playing baseball at Notre Dame and earning a degree
in government, Joe entered the Navy. While on a
mission as a Naval Flight Navigator, his plane was
shot down over Vietnam and Joe was held captive in
Hanoi for nearly a year. For his service, Joe received
two Purple Heart Medals, a Distinguished Flying
Cross medal and other awards.
Upon returning to civilian life, Joe began his
professional career in the product manufacturing
industry. With his military and professional
background, Joe next became active in local city
government. This launched his political career. Joe
went on to serve as Mayor, Lieutenant Governor and
Governor of Indiana.
Painful Hips...No More!
While in his 40’s, Joe began having mild right
hip pain. At first, he chalked it up to his active
lifestyle but as time went by, the pain remained
and Joe visited his physician at South Bend
Orthopaedics to seek some relief. The boardcertified
orthopaedic surgeon examined Joe, took
diagnostics and explained to him that he was
suffering from osteoarthritis of the hip. The surgeon
encouraged Joe to try conservative treatment for
his hip pain, such as anti-inflammatories, regular exercise and injection therapy. And Joe did so for
about eight years.
As the years passed, Joe’s symptoms were
becoming severe, sleep was elusive because of
his pain and walking had become difficult. He
returned to his orthopaedic surgeon at SBO and
they discussed the total hip replacement surgery
necessary to restore function to Joe’s right hip
joint. The surgeon performed the hip replacement
surgery in late 1996 and it was successful. Joe was
able to walk with assistance the same afternoon of
his surgery. Within five months, he was back to his
normal activity levels - without the hip pain.
More than a decade later, Joe started having
pain in his left hip, he visited his SBO orthopaedic
surgeon to seek some relief. The surgeon examined
and took diagnostic images of Joe’s hip. Together
they discussed treatment options for his arthritic
left hip. The surgeon again suggested conservative care like injections to help relieve his pain.
Unfortunately, the injection therapy did not
work and Joe would need the left hip replacement
surgery soon. The surgeon performed the surgery
on Joe’s left hip in August 2010.
Due to advances in surgical techniques and
technology for hip replacement, Joe recovered
even faster from this surgery. Following his surgery,
with guidance from his SBO surgeon, he followed
an exercise regimen to make his hip and core
muscles stronger and more resistant to injury. Joe
was walking without a limp within two months.
Today, he is back to his full activity level.
Joe has returned to work and is back on the golf
course - without the aggravating hip pain that had
him off course. “Now, I am back rowing on the St.
Joe River, something that was not possible a year
ago,” Joe reflects.
Click here to download a PDF of Joe's successful recovery from hip pain at South Bend Orthopaedics in Indiana.
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