Cheryl Driskell gives GETTING HIP two thumbs up!

Book Review by Cheryl Driskell

January 2005


Sigrid Macdonald
Getting Hip

Ottawa area author, Sigrid Macdonald, has found a way to make total hip replacements “Hip.” Her book is a personal journey through hip injury to wellness, fostering awareness and a new attitude. Macdonald put her experience of total hip replacement to print and is now being received by countless readers as a caretaker of “hip” impressions and witticisms, in the face of profound pain and suffering.

Having been unable to find reading materials that would help guide her through the journey of hip injury and its profound consequences, Macdonald knew she was in need of putting her writing skills to work. Macdonald is a woman with a strong sense of social justice, and the writing flare and humor of both a wily protagonist and side-slapping friend. Team these with her ongoing personal exposure to the medical system and you will have found the inspired person to write a critical review of the personal hip replacement experience.

Macdonald makes it clear that to receive the overall best outcome you need to be prepared. Getting Hip will prepare you. Macdonald notes that The Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation states that more than 37,500 hip and knee replacements are undertaken in Canada each year and the number is rising annually due to an aging population. In her late forties at the time of diagnosis, Macdonald was unprepared to accept that she was in desperate need of a total hip replacement. This makes her story all that more compelling as she examines the many options available prior to hip replacement surgery.

Exhausting pain and a final reality check of her circumstances led her to then bring herself up to speed of the possible complications and advantages of receiving a total hip replacement. Her investigations are in-depth and she is clear about the necessity of knowing the various pre and post-operative needs you will have.

All your concerns are warranted and Macdonald has guaranteed you a front row seat to this drama where you can either remain in the shadows or come out and take charge of your own process. Like Macdonald, the reader can go from helplessness to empowerment, when prepared with invaluable information. It is safe to say that this writer has provided answers for even the most obscure questions, while concluding her writing with the experiences of a dozen other individuals from around the world having also experienced total hip replacement surgery.

Like me, you will be able to find Getting Hip at either Amazon.ca, Coles, Mother Tongue Books, Chapters (local authors section) or through gettinghipbook.com. I may not be in need of hip attention now, but I’m holding on to my copy; this is the resource I’d want to have near…just in case.

Cheryl Driskell is an Ottawa area writer and former Executive Director of the Anxiety Disorders Association of Ontario.

Swamy recommends GETTING HIP

Getting Hip - Recovery From A Total Hip Replacement by Sigrid Macdonald. Published by AuthorHouse

Category: Non-fiction / Health160 pages; ISBN: 1-4184-7837-7
Rating: 7/10 (Ratings explained)Reviewer: Swamy
Review

"Getting Hip" is the first person account of Sigrid Macdonald, who went through a Total Hip Replacement Surgery and felt the need to share her experiences before, during and after surgery. At places poignant, at places serious and at some places humorous, the book gives a detailed account of what is involved in a Total Hip Replacement Surgery, including the decision to go in for the surgery, type of implant to be selected (given a choice) and what to expect in terms of pain, restrictions on movement and post-surgery life style etc.

The author has referred to several books on the subject and has added her own wisdom to the subject. One interesting feature of the book is the chapter dealing with the experiences of other people who underwent similar surgery. The widely different experiences of these people confirm the author's own experience that when it comes to a major issue, each individual has a different experience and while other's experience has some educational value, that does not and cannot form a benchmark. That is the message of this good book.

The bibliography and electronic references given at the end of the book add value to the book. The last chapter dealing with the Future of Hip Replacements is a little speculative and should be taken as the author's perception of various bits and pieces collected in the course of her extensive reading and interaction. Brand names of drugs should be acknowledged as such and wherever possible, generic names of the drugs may be preferred.

The book doesn't deal with alternative or complementary aspects of health care in detail since the author is totally dependent on the Canadian Health care system, which is dependent on the main stream medical knowledge. Several people are however trying out alternative systems like herbal supplements, Homeopathy, Acupuncture etc. because of the adverse side effects of the main stream drugs.

The reviewer found some sentence usage patterns in the book rather odd, but probably these are country specific and in any case there is no difficulty in understanding the text.

If you are considering a hip replacement or if you need to support a friend or relative who is contemplating such a surgery and are looking for a layperson's perspective of what is involved in a major surgical operation like Total Hip Replacement, this book is certainly recommended.

This book is also worth taking a look at if you are in the health care profession, since it gives you the perspective from the customer's point of view.
Buy Getting Hip - Recovery From A Total Hip Replacement at amazon.com


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