Hello to all you boomers --

I wanted to tell everyone about my new book on total hip replacement surgery. Approximately 25% of all hip replacements are performed on people under the age of 64. The vast majority are female whereas the majority of orthopedic surgeons are male. This can sometimes cause problems, especially for those women who suffer from the "white coat syndrome," and feel intimated by their doctors.

My book is called GETTING HIP: Recovery from a Total Hip Replacement. In it, I discuss my own experience with the surgery. When I was 28 years old, way back in 1981, I was hit by a drunk driver and nearly killed. I broke a number of bones, including a fracture and dislocation of my left hip. That joint gave out on me completely five years ago when I was 47.

At first, the doctors didn't want to replace it because artificial joints usually lasts for 10 to 15 years. Therefore, people who start having joint replacements in their forties may require two or more revision surgeries during their lifetime. But my pain was so disabling that I had to proceed with the surgery and, boy, am I glad that I did! I feel so much better now :-)

Because I am a freelance writer with a background in research, I decided to write a book on hip replacements. I wanted to make it reader friendly and not dry or stuffy like many of the other texts on the topic. I also wanted to encourage women and men to be proactive about their health: to be as involved as possible in preparing for the surgery and during the recovery process.

Since I was relatively young in the world of total hips, I interviewed 10 other people around the world so that I could provide a more balanced account of different recovery experiences. You can read more about my book on my web site at

www.sigridsrecovery.blogspot.com

Thanks for being here and stay hip :-)
Sigrid