Back on her feet

One sunny day last March, Susan Groveunder was doing some shopping when things suddenly went very wrong.

“I was trying to put my mask on with a package in one hand and my purse in the other,” she said. “I was running my mouth and just didn’t see the curb. I hit it with my foot and completely faceplanted.”

The most immediate effects were a scratched pair of glasses and a swollen wrist. But when both of those had been taken care of, Groveunder noticed a different problem.

“I think I had a bad hip already,” she said, “but that fall really exacerbated the issue.”

Over the next few months, as a nagging discomfort grew in her left hip, she found simple tasks were gradually getting harder to do.

“It wasn't that I couldn't do anything,” she said, “it just was hard to do it, more painful to do it. Like tying my shoe, taking a shower, getting in the car … I could do these things, but they hurt.”

She already knew exactly who to talk to about it: Bradley Broussard, MD, of Cape Fear Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. A board-certified orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Broussard specializes in treating injuries of the hip, knee and shoulder. He performs surgeries in the Joint Replacement Center at Hoke Hospital, which has been designated by the Joint Commission as a Center of Excellence.

“Dr. Broussard's fabulous,” Groveunder said. “I’ve known him for 25 years, so he’s always been my ortho guy.”

After a thorough exam and a look at her X-rays, Dr. Broussard told her the pain was unlikely to improve without a hip replacement. She decided to put it off so she could attend a long-awaited family reunion first, but was eager to get it done when the time came.

“I trusted Dr. Broussard 100 percent,” she said. “I did not worry about it one bit.”

Dr. Broussard explained to her exactly how he would perform the surgery and told her what to expect during her recovery.

“He showed me where the incision would be,” she said. “I got to see what the apparatus looks like, how they were going to put it in. I really didn’t have any questions because he explained it so well.”

A week before the surgery, Groveunder arrived at Hoke Hospital for her pre-op appointment. After some lab tests and paperwork, she was given a tour.

“They showed me where I could look through the window, where the surgery would be,” she said. “Then I got to see where I would be recovering. The rooms are so nice, with a huge bathroom and a big window.”

On the day of her surgery, Groveunder arrived at the hospital bright and early.

“By noon or so, I was recovering in one of those big rooms I had seen on the tour,” she said. “They had me up and walking that day, just a couple of hours after the surgery. The physical therapist came in and had me walking up and down the hall with a walker.”

After a single night in the hospital, and another walk up and down the hallway, Groveunder was discharged to continue recovering at home.

“The first couple of days were rough,” she said. “I needed help with everything, and I was just moving so slowly.”

But as days passed, she felt a little stronger and moved with a little more ease. By the second week, she was shooing her helpful husband away.

“He would say, ‘OK, Miss Independent,’” she said, laughing. “But I'm just not used to having people do things for me, because I'm usually home by myself, and I can do it myself.”

As her husband resumed his own busy work schedule, he made sure she was set up for success before he left each day.

“He would put the pots and pans I needed up on the counter before he left,” she said, “and anything I needed from the fridge at a level where I could reach it. That way I didn’t have to do much bending while I healed up.”

Seven weeks after surgery, Groveunder is back at work as a client associate at Merrill Lynch. She said she is grateful for the nurses and physical therapists who helped to get her back on her feet.

“They got me where I am today,” she said, “especially in the beginning, just being able to move and get dressed and get to the bathroom.”

But, she said, as a patient, she couldn’t leave her recovery completely up to the professionals.

“You have to keep up with your physical therapy,” she said, “doing the exercises at home and everything. If you don’t, it’s just not going to be as successful.”

As Groveunder gets stronger and more mobile, she is excited about driving again. She’s looking forward to more family reunions, and she’s glad her hip replacement is making it possible to enjoy life without pain.

“I would recommend Dr. Broussard to anyone,” she said. “He did a beautiful job.”