Michael had a hip replacement at the age of 65. Having played grade squash since his early twenties, he faced the prospect of giving up his beloved sport. A fit and active man, Michael jogged, spent time gardening and played squash before surgery. “When you think you can’t do these things anymore, it can be quite traumatic,” he says.
In early 2012, Michael had a fall and broke a rib. Despite treatment, he was still not fully recovering and “something still felt wrong.” Michael had to take a significant amount of paracetamol “just to get through each day.” He would sit in the car for around 15 minutes at the end of each workday, just to summon the energy to be able to face the final walk into the house. It was certainly not possible to play squash that he loved.
Following further tests, it was discovered that his hip joint had significantly worn and required replacement.
“I was a little bit apprehensive, but my family convinced me that it was important,” he remembers. My daughter told me “You’re going to have to do this, dad.” “She had never seen me like this before, having to hold onto the railings to go up and down stairs.” Michael was feeling miserable and the prognosis was that it was only going to get worse.
Lying in bed in hospital, Michael wondered if he would ever be able to play squash again. After spending time in a rehab hospital, he focussed on regaining his previous fitness levels.
“100% from the word go I knew I had to do my rehabilitation,” he says. He now goes to the gym two to three times a week.
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