An Energetic Second Act

For Bill and Audrey Sento, retired education professionals from Ridge, Maryland, chronic hip pain due to osteoarthritis robbed them of the active life they had planned for themselves. Both patients of Leroy (Lee) M. Schmidt, MD, Bill had his left hip replaced in August 2013 and his right replaced in July 2014, and Audrey had her right hip replaced in February 2014, which has given them the opportunity to enjoy their retirement. This is their story, in their own words.

BEFORE SURGERY


Bill: “Life was pretty painful and I had a difficult time being mobile because of that. I couldn’t go fishing and had trouble walking and getting around in general. Dr. Schmidt was recommended to us by a nurse we know and after some tests and discussion about my left hip, he recommended surgery. I had a lot of respect for his opinions — he even predicted that I might need the right side done.”

Audrey: “I didn’t have much quality of life in terms of pain and ability to navigate or move in a way that I wanted to. In the days before my surgery, I couldn’t sleep at all during the night. Painkillers didn’t work for me, and my pain radiated all the way up and down the leg from my ankle through the buttocks area. We came to our hero, Dr. Schmidt, and he helped us both tremendously.”

SURGERY AND RECOVERY


Bill: “I’m pleased about our decisions to go through with the hip replacement surgeries at GBMC. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Dr. Schmidt and the people who work alongside him. Joint replacement surgery is a major surgery, but neither of us had complications. After a short hospital stay and several weeks of physical therapy, we were up and moving again.”

Audrey: “Dr. Schmidt and all of our caregivers were helpful with their explanations of what they were doing, and they all had a way of making you feel comfortable, even though what you’re going through is traumatic. I’m sure that our quick progress is because Dr. Schmidt gives you the opportunity to set the parameter of what you want to do and then he assists you in that direction.”

LIFE AFTER SURGERY


Bill: “We decided that we wanted to golf when we retired, and are now well on our way to that goal. I am also now able to ride a bicycle and fish, both of which I had a difficult time doing before surgery.”

Audrey: “I sleep much better now and am able to go for walks and garden, two things that I really enjoy. We also got a puppy about a year ago, a chocolate Labrador named Nali after one of our favorite vacation spots, Denali, Alaska. She requires a lot of exercise — we wouldn’t have been able to keep up with her before surgery.” Of all the things Mr. and Mrs. Sento appreciate about their experiences at GBMC, the accessibility and caring of the staff are the most prominent.

Audrey: “If we called with questions, Dr. Schmidt got right back to us, just like a family member would. We have a good life, physically, because we’ve had so many good experiences with the medical team at GBMC.”