Shannon Johnson’s hip pain came on fairly quickly during the pandemic.
“It started in the spring of 2020 when we locked down. I was teaching via Google meets and spending lots of time sitting,” the Tunbridge, Vermont resident said. “It started as what I thought was a pulled muscle in my left hip. When the pain got worse, I contacted my primary care physician and we had X-rays done that showed the damage to the joint.”
Johnson has been an athlete her whole life, playing basketball and running daily. Now she was a candidate for hip replacement surgery. “It was hard to wrap my mind around my injury. I felt at 43 I was too young for this,” she said.
Her primary care physician recommended Dr. Ivan Tomek at APD Orthopaedics.
“Every person I spoke with about Dr. Tomek had very positive things to say,” Johnson said. “After my referral, he explained the issue and what the replacement would entail. He also suggested other things I could try before a complete replacement. I tried them, hoping to buy some time, but the injection only gave me pain relief for a week or two and physical therapy helped with strength, but not pain relief.”
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Johnson is doing well after hip replacement surgery at APD.
“I am really glad that I had it done. The initial joint pain was gone immediately, then I had to gain strength over time,” she said. “It has been a lifestyle adjustment for sure. I have given up basketball as it is just so hard on the joints. I have shifted from running to walking as I want to keep this hip as long as possible.”
She’s pleased with her care at APD. “All of the staff at APD was fantastic. They made me feel comfortable from the start of the process. The high-quality care in a small setting made me feel cared about,” she said. “I would most certainly recommend APD. I had never been to the hospital prior to my hip replacement surgery but will not go anywhere else in the future.”