Nance Budd was missing out on her regular, day-to-day activities due to hip pain.
“It kept me homebound because it just hurt too much to walk,” says Nance, a retired postsurgical nurse. She couldn’t enjoy shopping — one of her favorite hobbies — or getting together with her nursing colleagues and friends for their monthly meetups. She also missed out on weekly date nights with her husband due to the pain.
She found ways to keep herself busy, such as reading and crocheting, but felt confined to her own home and wanted to change that.
Finding the right care
When she decided to get hip surgery, she conducted extensive research to find the right person to take care of her. She found Matthew Squire, MD, MS, a Rush orthopedic surgeon who sees patients in Aurora and Yorkville.
“I found out that he did an anterior approach, and that’s exactly what I wanted,” Nance says. With her professional knowledge about recovery, she decided this was the best option for her.
Recovery process
“Dr. Squire had specific items that were easy to follow for the prep, routine and post-surgery,” she recalls. For the former nurse, it was a relief to have such thorough instructions.
Nance felt fine by the third day after her surgery but continued to follow instructions for a smooth healing process. While sometimes uncomfortable, she says the recovery process was never too painful.
What’s next?
It’s likely that Nance will need another surgery for her right hip. “Walking around the hospital hallways on concrete was probably not good for my hips,” she says, referring to her career.
Nance knows that she wants Squire to perform any future surgery and says, “Nobody else will do my next hip.” She is also thankful for the nurses and other professionals who helped her throughout the process.
“Everyone was so positive and careful,” she says. “I’m glad that I chose Dr. Squire and his team.”
