Hip Replacement

For about 10 years, I can recall experiencing aches in my right hip. The discomfort would come on and off for unexplained reasons. I had even thought that at some point I might have over used that part of my body to result in the discomfort. 

In 2018, my job transferred me to another state. While packing for the move, my hip became extremely sore with certain range of motion. It seemed that simple positions began to cause pain in my hip. This included tying my shoe, other normal activity and bending my hip and knee in a kneeling position. 

My name is Ron Alter and I am currently 63 years old. Dr. David Moore performed a hip replacement surgery on me after an airplane crash in 2006 (15+ years ago). While I observed that it seemed like a very casual act for him it was not for me. Dr. Moore has been on my hero list ever since the hip replacement.

I first chose Dr. James Flanagan for my hip issue in 2019 based on his background and lengthy experience, I thought he would be the "best fit" for me and my hip replacement surgery!

It all began ten years ago. I slipped and fell inside my son’s school. I saw my primary care physician who prescribed physical therapy, but my hip continued to bother me.

Three years later, I realized that I had started walking differently and my body even adapted to run in a strange way. I saw an orthopedic physician in Chattanooga where I live. He recommended that I have my hip replaced. 

I do not live a very active life! However, hip pain stole most of the life I had away!

At 54-years-old I could no longer walk without the aid of a walker. Additionally, I couldn’t sleep because of my hip pain. It was also affecting my job and I was embarrassing by my quality of life! Then BOOM the pandemic also hit!

I'm an active duty police lieutenant, firearms instructor and former Marine. It's hard to teach on the shooting range on crutches and barely able to walk 25 yards. My officers were begging me to stop hurting myself for them and retire.

I’ve spent many years doing a lot of physical activity. For the past 12 years I’ve been a personal trainer and have taught fitness classes. I love exercising and teaching classes, so I think my hip pain resulted from not having a balance between exercising and letting my body rest.

I had a long history of bi-lateral hip pain, and my condition got so bad that I started experiencing pain in both hips walking, climbing stairs, and putting on my shoes and socks. In addition, the pain would occasionally keep me from sleeping. 

As a former dancer, I knew my body had taken a lot of abuse over the years. I had countless injuries to my feet, ankles, and knees. But when I turned 45, it became my left hip. At first, it just was a dull pain that bothered me occasionally. By the time I turned 50, I could barely get out of bed.

My story begins in my early 50's when I began to have left hip pain. I sought conservative treatment that included physical therapy and injections. It did not take me long to realize the injections only helped for a short period of time.  After receiving my last injection, with absolutely no pain relief, I knew I had to seek a permanent solution.