Ishbel’s Story
Meet Ishbel Dickens, a retired legal aid attorney, mother of four and grandmother of eight from the Seattle area who loves being active. Growing up in Scotland, Ishbel discovered the sport of field hockey and started playing at the age of 12. Her passion for the sport continued to grow through the years, and at one point, she played for both the men’s and women’s field hockey teams in Seattle, which is how she met her husband.
Around the age of 50, Ishbel noticed that her hip was causing her some pain, so she started taking over-the-counter medications after games. When that didn’t ease the pain, she started taking pain medication before games, too. She also participated in hot yoga and water aerobics classes, started taking supplements and tried acupuncture, dry needling and injections to try and help ease the pain.
She tried to push through so she could continue playing the sport she loved, but the pain was taking a toll. She had a hard time sleeping, getting out of chairs and riding a horse with her grandchildren, and she even needed help putting her shoes and socks on before games.
Ishbel was hesitant to have hip replacement surgery because she thought she would have to give up her active lifestyle, but she realized what she was doing for the pain wasn’t working anymore.
“I wasn’t playing to my full potential,” said Ishbel. “I knew that I was stronger than that.”
Ishbel consulted an orthopaedic surgeon who told her about the benefits of ANTERIOR ADVANTAGE™ Hip Replacement. She had her first hip replaced in 2018, shortly after competing in a Masters Field Hockey World Cup in Spain with the USA over 55 team. Six months later, she was back playing the sport she loved. She played another year of field hockey, participating in the 55 and older European Field Hockey Continental Cup with an international hockey club before undergoing her second hip replacement in October 2019. She was released from the hospital 20 hours after surgery and was back on the field within four months.
Ishbel worked hard in her pre- and post-rehabilitation. She credits having a defined recovery goal, exercise, pre- and post-surgery physiotherapy, icing and her surgeon for helping her in her recovery.
“I would have had the surgery sooner,” said Ishbel when asked what advice she would give others suffering from hip pain. “I was in excruciating pain for five years, but after finding the right doctor and surgery for me, I am now pain free.”
