My Hip Story

If you have located this blog, you are in the sad position of requiring a joint replacement *and* you enjoy the sport of agility. I'll bet, like me, you are worried about running your dog again after surgery so you're looking for information. I'll bet you have found very little to soothe your worries or provide information. The lack of a titanium agility support group led me to start this blog. It also led me to start a discussion group for people who participate in the sport of dog agility and are facing or have had a joint replacement.The more information we share and the more we support one another, the easier our journey toward Titanium Agility will be.

The sport of agility began in the USA about 20 years ago. That means that the pioneers of the sport are reaching their 50's and 60's. Hip and knee replacement surgeries will become more common in the agility community as the participants age. So we are not alone and we will not be the last. Every story and every bit of information will benefit those who come behind us.

My story - Part 1:

I started agility 18 years ago. I have run Dobermans, Shetland Sheepdogs, and I have a young Border Collie.

Corey - My First Agility Dog

 I started agility as a typical couch potato - overweight and out of shape. Somewhere along the line, I became *serious* about agility and I lost weight and began to work out. I had 4 dogs in training and trialing. I wanted to be able to show them to their full potential. I worked on footwork and speed. I did weight training. I wanted to be athletic - at least as athletic as my body would allow.   I was successful. I did well with my dogs and achieved a measure of success.  As time passed, I was plagued with little injuries. A hip pull, a groin pull, a calf strain... it seemed there was always something sore in spite of trying to stay in shape. Eventually, the pain settled into my hip. I had steroid injections in the hip bursa. I iced and stretched and heated and took Ibuprofen by the handful.   No matter how much I babied and pampered it, my hip continued to hurt. At the time, I thought it was my back or the bursa or the hip flexor. I even saw orthopedic doctors who prescribed more injections and more pills and more physical therapy. Yet, I still could not run - or if I ran, the next 3 or 4 days would be spent hobbling around.  In January of 2011, I got to the point that I could not walk to the end of my driveway. I spent 90% of the day sitting or laying on ice. I could barely manage my agility clients.  I saw another Ortho who treated me again for back strain. By March, the AKC Nationals had arrived and I still could not run without pain. I was using a Tens unit to manage each day and seeing a chiropractor 3 times a week. Still I hurt. My dog had been in the Finals at AKC Nationals in previous years and had a chance in 2011.  I could barely run. Talk about despair!!!

To be continued...