Back To The Ballroom After Total Hip Replacement

Throughout her career, even into retirement, Debbie Burden found a passion for ballroom dance.

"I never realized I wanted to ballroom dance, but I always enjoyed looking at the dresses and especially Viennese waltz and the glamour of all that," Debbie said. "A good friend of mine named Jane gave me some dance lessons here at the studio at Five Star Dance Studio where she also took lessons."

Debbie emphasized her love for music and singing, so ballroom dance became an addictive outlet to put all her hobbies in one place.

Her enjoyment on the ballroom floor slowed down when she started experiencing stiffness in her right thigh and upper hip 10 to 12 years ago.

A Severe Osteoarthritis Diagnosis

At first, Debbie assumed that she had just pulled a muscle, but a visit to her primary care doctor helped her recognize the severity of her condition. Her provider suggested an X-ray to find the root of her potential hip problems.

"When they later called me to let me know that I had severe osteoarthritis, I was so shocked that my mind automatically assumed they're talking to the wrong person," Debbie said.

Osteoarthritis is often called a degenerative joint disease or "wear and tear" arthritis, which occurs when the cartilage within your joints degenerates over time or with damage.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and affects nearly 33 million adults in the United States.

Symptoms Of Osteoarthritis On The Dance Floor

"I could tell that Debbie was having some issues," said Five Star Dance Studio member Jeff Baker. "It started off slowly where she would need a minute to catch her breath every once in a while, but it progressively got worse for Debbie later down the line."

Jeff noticed how Debbie was attempting to push herself through her discomfort, even up to the time of their showcase at the dance studio.

Joint pain, stiffness and discomfort are common symptoms of osteoarthritis. Typically, osteoarthritis symptoms do worsen over time.

"I really hated seeing Debbie go through that because I know how much she loved dancing, so she kept pushing herself," Jeff said.

Jeff explained that Debbie, who often did three dance lessons in a row, eventually had to reduce her dance lessons on the schedule.

"There were times Debbie would tell me that she could only do one lesson today, even apologizing for the change," Jeff said. "When she told me that she needed to have the hip replacement, I reminded her that we would be here waiting for when she returns."

Hip Replacement With Franciscan Health Professionals

Even with her concerns regarding her osteoarthritis, Debbie was glad to work with a team of highly trained professionals to review her condition and provide her with compassionate care.

"Franciscan Health had such a high reputation, so everybody always suggested that I visit them," Debbie said. "I called Franciscan, and I was truly surprised that I was scheduled for a visit within a week after I gave them a call. Once I met my surgeon, they did another X-ray and let me know that I'm ready for a procedure now."

Her joint replacement surgeon informed Debbie that a hip replacement could be scheduled and completed within the month. Still, she wanted to wait until after finishing her showcase at the dance studio.

"And so it was a week after this showcase, I had my hip taken out," Debbie said.

Returning To Her Passion With A Hip Replacement

"After the hip replacement, of course, I did have pain for a while, but probably after the first week, the pain was minimal," Debbie said. "Following my physical therapy, I had really no pain at all and I became more flexible."

Within two months, Debbie returned to the dance studio floor, freely dancing again.

"I was really happy about being on the dance floor again because my main goal to get back and doing the things I liked," Debbie said. "No one really wants to have surgery if they don't have to, but I can just say based on my own experience, I'm glad I didn't wait and I'm glad I was able to get back doing things I wanted to do."

"To anyone who is considering putting off surgery, I would say don't ignore your body," Debbie said. "Don't wait, because you might miss out on the best time for your body to go through a procedure, and you want to be able to resume your normal activities as quickly as possible."