Recreational sports have always been a significant part of Effingham native Bob Utz’ life. Over the years, he’s dabbled with a variety of sports, but softball and basketball have been constants. He’s played in a 35 and over softball league for many years, and participating has been a great way for him to have fun and stay fit.
At 63 years old, hitting pitches, fielding ground balls and catching pop flies were always routine plays for him, but during a doubleheader last summer, a routine play came with a painful surprise. “I bent over to field a ground ball, and it felt like someone was stabbing my left hip,” he said. “I previously had some pain playing softball and basketball, but this sent me over the edge.”
That pain, coupled with the difficulty Bob had experienced walking golf courses, led him to SBL Orthopedic Surgeon Didi Omiyi, MD, for help. While Bob had never been treated by Dr. Omiyi before, his father had. “I was very happy with how Dr. Omiyi had treated my father,” Bob said. “When I found out that my hip was bad, I wanted to see Dr. Omiyi myself.”
In September, X-rays showed that the cartilage around Bob’s left hip was severely degraded. A month later, Dr. Omiyi performed a left hip replacement.
Bob is pleased with how Dr. Omiyi cared for him throughout the process. “He explained everything to me really well, and he was willing to answer any questions I had,” Bob said. “He even took the time to listen to some concerns I had with an ankle issue.”
After the surgery, Bob had three follow-up appointments, two of them with Advanced Practice Provider Jennifer Hess, APRN. “She took her time with me and was always happy to help me and answer any questions I had,” he said.
Bob expected to feel a great deal of pain following the procedure, but he was pleasantly surprised at how little pain he felt. “I needed very little pain medication following the surgery,” he recalled. “I only needed the medication for a couple days and haven’t had much pain at all since then.”
After all the follow-ups and rehabilitation, Bob is doing great and is excited to have greater mobility. “I’m grateful to have regained my mobility and hit the course again pain-free,” Bob said.