Stone Oak Hip Replacement Patient Story

Kathy LeStourgeon was celebrating her daughter’s 30^th birthday when she suddenly slipped on the kitchen tile hurting her right hip. “When I fell that day, I sat there for a minute. I didn’t feel like it was a regular, ‘I fell and can’t get up’ situation. It felt like something was really wrong — as if I had bruised something,” said Kathy. That happened in October 2019.

As a co-owner of an insurance agency in Kerrville, Texas, Kathy was busy seeing roughly 70 patients a day for Medicare. “I didn’t have time to be in bad shape, so I went through open enrollment and delayed my care,” she said. Kathy finally went in to have her hip checked and the MRI revealed a hip fracture and both her hip joints were actually bone-on-bone. In other words, the fall just expedited the pain and her ultimate need for surgery.

Kathy had a trip to London planned, but eventually, her pain progressed to an unbearable level forcing her to cancel her trip and move up the surgery. “I couldn’t walk. I was limping like some decrepit 200-year-old person. I knew when I moved, it was going to be painful,” Kathy described. She struggled to perform normal tasks such as getting in and out of the shower or holding her grandson. “My three-year-old grandson would grab my right leg and got used to helping me lift it into the car. I never thought I’d be praying ‘I hope I can walk like I did before October 25,’” she admitted.

On May 7, Kathy came to Methodist Hospital | Stone Oak to have a total hip replacement. Her orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Geoffrey Glebus, used an anterior approach on her right hip, which is minimally invasive and cuts through fewer muscles. Typically, this results in a shorter hospital stay and easier recovery.

She went in for her surgery on a Thursday, and the next day, she was discharged home. “By Sunday, I used no pain medication, no walker — just doing my exercises and getting better and better from there,” she said.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kathy shared how wonderful her experience was and how safe she truly felt. “Hospitals are dealing with infections every day. I was never afraid to come to Methodist Hospital | Stone Oak. You are better off there than any other place you could be,” said Kathy. “I wish I would have come in sooner. They eliminated all my fears.”

“Everyone was so nice and everything fell into place perfectly. I gave up going to London to come to this hospital, and I think it was every bit as nice. Methodist Hospital | Stone Oak is my spot now,” Kathy shared.

Impressed with the exceptional outcome of her surgery and the compassionate care she received, Kathy immediately scheduled her left hip replacement for the end of the summer. “I am actually looking forward to my second hip replacement since the first one was such a breeze,” said Kathy.

“My grandson couldn’t understand why he couldn’t jump on my lap or why I couldn’t pick him up anymore. The best part was the first time he jumped up on my lap, and I could stand up and hold him. It was all worth it,” Kathy joyfully said.

Learn more about the orthopedic care at Methodist Hospital | Stone Oak