Sorry for the confusion. I was responding to your post and njsusan at the same time. There's a great article in the October edition of AARP Bulletin about hip resurfacing. It's titled, "What's Hip in Hips" and really explains it well and how successful it is. I'm 52 and was very active before my hip problem, so it's a perfect solution for me. Any tailgating parties going on next weekend that we need to know about? Tell us what to bring and my wife and I will be there.

njsusan that's great!!! I have talked to many others that went back to a high level of activity as well. I recently talked with a young lady who was a karate instructor and is back instructing again. I'll be happy to bike, walk, golf, and workout without pain. I'm not going to push it too much, but I may go downhill skiing again, at a more relaxed pace. Mont and Gross have both been in these clinical trials for at least several years and they are both a couple of the best. I know Dr. Gross has done over 400 of them already. He's going to give my hip a new lease on life in 9 days. I'll be so happy when I can walk without a limp again and tie my own shoes without severe pain. Lexington Medical Center here I come.

Aprrentice, this is a very timely thread. Learned this AM that a co-worker(49) is considering hip surgery. Have fwded this thread to him.
Thanks for the heads up.
Incidently co-worker is the 'ultimate' TN fan, aka 'groupie' and said while Columbia may be busy, its not impossible. Just his .02 worth.

Here are some more details about "Hip Resurfacing". Hip resurfacing has been in clinical studies for over 5 years now in the USA. It has been done even longer, in England, Europe, and Australia. There have been over 20,000 done worldwide, with over 2,000 done in the USA as part of the clinical trials. It is recommended for people under 65 who are obviously younger and more active. It's success rate is documented in published studies at a 96% success rate at 8 years out for 1000 patients. The traditional total hip replacement procedure has a success rate in younger more active adults of 70% at 7 years. So resurfacing is a much better solution for younger more active adults. It's metal and metal so it will never wear out. The ball & socket is larger, so dislocation happens in less than 1% of the patients. Total hip replacement has a dislocation rate of 5-7%. All of your bone is preserved in your femur, so should it ever fail and you need a second revision, your chance for a successful total hip replacement are extremely high because the bone is untouched. The success rate of a 2nd total hip replacement after a first total hip replacement is only in the range of 50-80% odds of being successful. That's one of the many reasons hip resurfacing is a better first choice. It is expected to be approved by the FDA sometime in 2005.

There's an article in the October edition of AARP Bulletin about hip resurfacing, titled "What's Hip in Hips". Also, search Google for hip resurfacing and you'll find lots of info. If you join the Surface Hippy message board at www.yahoo.com, you can read a very active meesage board about people getting hip resurfacing. I'm going to Dr. Gross in Columbia South Carolina who has now done over 400 hip resurfacings. He's probably one of the top 5 doctors in the country who are part of the clinical studies. Dr. Gross and his nurse Lee Webb have been outstanding to work with. I will meet them this Friday 10/29 since my surgery is the following Monday. Any tailgating parties my wife & I should know about? Tell us what to bring and we'll be there. We're looking for things to do Satuday afternoon, and what better way to tailgate than with your new best friends from Michigan. Hope that helps you understand hip resurfacing a little bit better.

Paul

just ran across this thread today while searching for another & it caught my eye since I live in Columbia...

Apprenticeship, my co-worker had ankle surgery by Dr. Gross July 4th weekend & he did an excellent job, even on that. He was on call when she went to the emergency room (fell down back steps on way to work & had 2 compound fractures - her ankle was basically dangling). He even told her he had never done ankle surgery & was nervous. Well, he released her totally yesterday & she said he was so excited how well she did, he was patting himself on the back. She is 59 yrs. old & basically fully recovered in 8 weeks. She's extremely happy with him!

apprenticeship, South Carolina fans have brought tailgating to an art form. Fans pay $200,000 for the lifetime rights to a parking spot for six home games a year.

You'll have a hard time finding tickets, they don't scalp because everyone usually wants to go. There is every chance that someone will give you a ticket. If you end up with two, don't worry about the seats, you can always watch from the circular exit ramps. It sounds weird but you'll know what they are when you see them.

Good luck with the surgery and what Hampton Inn did you get?

Just take your favorite tailgate and hunt for a parking lot. The fairgrounds parking lot are numbered assigned spaces. You should find parking about 1/4 mile away.

beckers, YES I have been to Ohio State game. I've been to tons of them. My dad is a buckeye and there is no comparison. We went to every single home game from as far back as I can remember until I could get out of it. My parents still go. Columbus Ohio is a much bigger city than Columbia South Carolina and can far better handle the influx of out of football fans.

You are going to find restaurants and other venues difficult.

Here is link to the stadium http://www.sfo.com/~csuppes/NCAA/SEC...lina/index.htm

I don't know if I posted this or not but all roads to the stadium will be one way in before the game and reversed for one way out after the game.

Actually, I meant OU - University of Oklahoma in Norman, but I would imagine they're about the same thing. Anybody Cowboys or Sooners out there brave enough to go to the OSU/OU game?

Go Travel,

Hampton Inn on Chris Dr. Suppose to be close to Hospital & they give you a break on rates.
$200,000. for a parking space. WOW!
If my hubby feels like walking at all we'll have to check out the tailgating/game? Sounds interesting & $$.
Otherwise the weather sounds beautiful
80 & sunny. We can check out the city & get lunch outside.
Thanks for your info

apprenticeship, you are actually in West Columbia which is a town across the river from Columbia.

I suggest eating at Devine Foods on Devine Street (wonderful Greek) and Motor Supply on Gervais.

Beckers, Ohio State is much larger than Oklahoma however Oklahoma and South Carolina's football stadiums and attendence are very similar.

GoTravel, Ohio State is bigger - but I'm convinced I've never seen fans like Oklahoma U fans. It's almost like a cult (but in a good football way). And Bedlam is this weekend, so Stillwater will be crawling with maroon and orange!

Sounds like grouchy gotravel and beckers should take their discourses (?) to the football field and play them out. Getting a little silly.

Apprenticeship, the surgery sounds very exciting. After knee replacement surgery (ow!), I know how wonderful it is to be pain-free. I wish you both the very best of luck.

seniormsuedu: Pot, meet kettle. Black.

WHYYYYYY are some on this forum so obsessed with proving they're 'right'??? Insecurity?
Give it up already, we got your point at the beginning of this thread.
This is an anonymous forum where most ! people couldn't care less.
Say what you think, then move on.
Oh, and maybe get a life.

wanderluster, have you not learned from my posts the I AM always right?

She's right you know!!

See? I told you so.

Thanks for the lively commentary. It's been an interesting thread to say the least. We're going to have to sign off by 10:30 PM tonight. We fly at 6:30 AM so we need to be up by 4:30 AM tomorrow. Surgery is at 1:30 on Monday at Lexington Medical Center. Then I'm back on the road to recovery, and hopefully pain free for many years to come. Thanks everyone. If you happen to see someone limping around or on crutches at the USC tailgate on Saturday, pull them over and see if it's the Apprenticeship. We'll certainly stay & party with you if it's us.

Take Care,

Paul & Kris

Seniormsuedu, I totally agree with GoTravel on this one. Pot, kettle, black.

And wanderluster, same advice. No need to be snotty. Free exchange of ideas is allowed on Fodor's, and if you don't like a post, then don't read or post to it - may I suggest "move on and get a life". I thought GoTravel and I were down to just talking football (nicely, calmly, and politely), which ought to be okay since there have ben about 500 baseball threads in the last week. I apologize if our football talk irritated you, but I honestly was not trying to prove that I was right, wrong, or anything else, and I sincerely don't think GoTravel was either - I certainly didn't take offense to the Ohio State information, and I thought the links were interesting. It was just football talk, so try to take your own advice. And have a wonderful day!

Paul & Kris, good luck and have fun! Be sure to post a trip report after you get home so we know how everything went. Safe travels!