Back on Her Feet

 

As a single mother with two sons at home, Maritza was struggling. The prosthetic hip she had was causing more pain and problems than it was helping and she was rapidly cutting her weekly work hours at a part-time cleaning job because she couldn’t endure the pain. Maritza didn’t know what to do as it was becoming more and more difficult to provide for her family. By the time she found Community Health Connect she had stopped working completely and relying on her church and network of friends to get by.

Maritza was connected with Dr Richard Jackson for an evaluation. He told her that surgery was the only option for her hip, which was disheartening to Maritza who still vividly remembered her previous surgery.  Forty-five year old Maritza was not ready for a second hip replacement. She still had memories of her earlier painful surgery running through her mind. She remembered the year it took her to recuperate, and the minimal pain it relieved.  She could not afford to go a whole year without working, let alone the other needs that would go unmet if she were in bed for that long. Dr Jackson explained that the process would be very different than the one she had experienced prior, and that she would be back on her feet in a few weeks, with almost normal movement in six months. He went out of his way to reassure her of the developments that had been made since her last surgery and he kindly gave her the name of one of his patients, a woman who had undergone the same procedure almost a year before, who could share details about recuperation time, physical therapy, and the emotional strain of such a procedure.

Maritza underwent surgery in October of 2007, today she is walking, even running a bit here and there—a feat she never would have dreamed possible a few years ago. She has no physical difficulties working her full-time stocking job at Wal-Mart, and is now more easily able to provide for her two sons at home. The surgery went well, and the recovery was much shorter and less painful than she had imagined—just as Dr Jackson had promised. Maritza is overjoyed with the state of her health and is very appreciative to all of those involved in her care. She gratefully thanks Dr Jackson for donating his surgical services, the physical therapists at Central Utah Clinic for the many donated sessions, Intermountain Healthcare for their donated facility and care, and her great friends and church members who helped babysit kids, bring dinners, and help her maneuver about the house while she was recuperating.

Maritza has a great spirit and positive attitude. She has an infectious smile and is a joy to work with. We were happy for the help we could coordinate for her, and for the providers who donated their valuable services.