Dick Ryan's Story

“The pain after my surgery was barely a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10”

Two years ago, it got to the point where the pain and stiffness in his left hip had become so limiting that he’d have to stop in the middle of the simplest journey, whether it was down the hall or across the street. He would pause long enough for the hurt to subside, and then walk a few footsteps more.

Nowadays, 77-year-old Dick Ryan of New Marlborough is in full motion, doing his household chores, taking care of his yard and running errands around the county. He still can’t quite believe how quick, dramatic and relatively-pain free the transformation was.

“I was only in surgery for an hour,” said Dick of the anterior hip replacement procedure performed by his surgeon at Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates. “I woke at around 8 p.m. and I basically had no pain. I took no more pain pills that day. It was just a little stiffness, and that was it.  If I had to put a number on it, I’d say the pain after my surgery was barely a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10.”

The following day, he was more than ready to begin his physical therapy.

“They had me use the walker, even though I didn’t think I needed it,” said the retired propane industry executive, who used a cane for “maybe a day or two” before walking unaided on his own two feet. “I’m a whole new person.”