Susanne Mosley: REclaiming an Active Life After Complex Hip Replacement

Susanne Mosley has been coping with the aftereffects of an accident for most of her life. She was hit by a drunk driver at the age of 12, which resulted in significant injuries to the right side of her body. Despite the challenges that followed, Susanne has never let the accident define what was possible for her—a mindset her sister encouraged from the start by helping her see beyond the limitations of her injuries and challenging her to stay active.

“I’ve had surgeries over the years, but I always adapted,” Susanne explained. “I participated in sports and weightlift—no problems.”

Chronic Pain Development from Past Injuries

About two years ago, Susanne began experiencing intense pain in her lower back that she chalked up to sciatica. Unlike similar pain she had before, this pain persisted and began impeding her active lifestyle. Susanne noticed she was unable to keep up during routine workouts or make a full rotation on her recumbent bike. As always, her sister recognized the limitations and urged Susanne to seek treatment.

“Pain in my rear end was unbelievable,” she remembered. “And my sister kept telling me ‘you need a hip replacement,’ so I finally went to see a doctor.”

The Challenges of a Complex Case

No stranger to surgery, Susanne went into the first appointments mentally prepared for how they were going to go. After a routine scan, she went back for a follow-up appointment to go over the results and was surprised to learn that the doctor declined to move forward with treatment.

“I just assumed they were going to schedule surgery, but [the doctor] said he couldn’t help me because I’m high risk and need to see a trauma surgeon,” she revealed. “Since my pelvis was really bad, and I was missing part of my ball and socket, he couldn’t assume the risk”

Susanne was referred to a couple other orthopedic practices that offered trauma care.

“That shocked me because I thought it was going to be an easy fix,” she shared. “So, I went from doctor to doctor.”

The doctor at one clinic was intent on pursuing a surgical technique that Susanne was not comfortable with, and appointments were booked several months out at the other clinic.

Specialized Care at OrthoIllinois

While waiting for her appointment scheduled in the fallwith a non-OrthoIllinois physician, Susanne and her family were introduced to OrthoIllinois. A family member saw Dr. Anthony Logli for a wrist issue, and while there, inquired about providers that specialized in hip replacements. With appointments available within weeks rather than months, Susanne made an appointment to see Dr. Michael Harvey in early spring.

“I loved him immediately,” she remarked. “He told me everything—all my obstacles. He said that it was going to be challenging, but he was really confident that he could help me.”

Dr. Harvey’s confidence, transparency, and positivity reassured Susanne. He discussed in detail the extent of her condition and his approach to treatment. Naturally, Susanne had questions, and Dr. Harvey addressed all of them.

“He answered all my questions,” she recalled. “I had a lot of ‘what ifs,’ and he just put me at ease. I said, ‘How soon can we schedule it?’ I didn’t even think about it after I met him. I was so comfortable. I said, ‘Let’s do it.’”

She received a call the day after her appointment to schedule surgery, pleasantly surprised and grateful for how quickly she could move forward with treatment.

Complex Hip Replacement

Leading up to surgery, Susanne received regular phone calls and emails from her OrthoIllinois care team to ensure she was prepared for the procedure and to answer any questions along the way. The support continued on the day of surgery, when Dr. Harvey took time to go over everything once again and reassure Susanne before performing a complex posterior right total hip arthroplasty.

Expecting to be on crutches for six weeks as initially planned, Susanne was astounded when rehabilitation therapists asked her to stand and walk just a few hours after surgery. Her recovery continued at home with rehabilitation, where therapists helped her navigate her home safely as she regained mobility.

“Physical therapy was set up to come to my house for five days,” she shared. “They were great and really pushed me. I have a two-story house, and [the therapist] wanted me to make sure I could get up and down stairs, get in and out of the shower, get in and out of bed.”

Restoring Full Mobility

Regular physical therapy appointments at OrthoIllinois followed. Her rehabilitation team tailored treatment to her individual goals and incorporated movements she was already familiar with from her workouts.

“They know I lift weights, so once I was able to, they had me on the leg press and doing squats.” She noted. “They really tried to get my function to where I needed to be.”

Just as her care team had been there to support and communicate with her leading up to surgery, they continued that same level of care throughout her recovery, making sure she felt supported every step of the way.

“They were always in communication with me somehow—whether by email, call, or appointment,” she explained. “I never felt like they did the surgery and then cut me loose.”

While progressing through her rehabilitation treatment plan, Susanne received a reminder call from the other clinic about her upcoming appointment. By then, she was already recovering from surgery and making progress in therapy.

“I completely forgot to cancel with them because it was so far out, and I had already had the surgery and was walking,” she exclaimed.

Susanne’s dedication to therapy and determination began to pay off just weeks after surgery when she was able to take an extended walk outside on her own.

“My first day out, I did three miles, and I’ve been walking three miles a day ever since,” she reported.

Recognizing Exceptional Patient Care

Susanne attributes her successful recovery to her care team, particularly Dr. Harvey.

“He really did change my life because I cannot imagine where I would be today had I not found him,” she revealed.

Having encountered several orthopedic clinics in the aftermath of her accident and leading up to her hip replacement, she feels her care at OrthoIllinois was truly unique.

“I’ve never been to an office like OrthoIllinois,” she noted. “I felt so heard. Everybody seems like they care, and everyone is so nice. I just have such confidence in OrthoIllinois that I wouldn’t really go anywhere else, and I recommend OrthoIllinois constantly to anybody who asks.”