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Marta Castellanos - Resurfacing in France Marta Castellanos will have both her hips resurfaced in July 2009. Below are her answers to the Dancer Questionnaire leading up to surgery. I look forward to her post-op entries. -N 
"Paris Broadway - Perfect young ladies" - Marta is standing Date of surgery: 1st july and 13th july 2009 Surgeon: Dr Frédédric Laude Hospital: CMC Paris V - France Prior to Surgery When did you first notice symptoms and what were they? As one other dancer on your website put it, there was never that ONE moment when you can say you realised something was seriously wrong. At the age of 33 I started having problems with my right hip which got treated with massage, acupuncture etc. Then in my 40's I started encountering more pain and loss of flexibility - I couldn't do the splits any more, my arabesques were ghastly, I suffered from lower back pain every day. My turn out was going... I started teaching again in 2006 and my hips went down hill as from then, both right and left. I can't lie flat on my back without getting stuck, I can't lie on my stomach either. After driving a long distance I have to stretch my hips out otherwise I waddle like a penguin. So I can honestly say that I've been suffering from hip problems for about 19 years! What was your medical diagnosis (traumatic osteoarthritis, congenital hip problem, avascular necrosis, etc)? Just good old osteoarthritis due to dancing! What forms of treatment did you seek before considering surgery (chiropractic, acupuncture, medications, bodywork, physical therapy, herbs, etc)? I have regular physiotherapy (twice a month), I've had acupuncture on and off, homeopathy, then recently I tried visualisation with colour (I'm convinced that the mind can work wonders but I'm not experimented enough in mind control. It was just too damned painful to concentrate long enough!!! I'm now on Nexen every day, one a day. How did you change your work habits, lifestyle to accommodate the hip problem? Apart from thinking ahead and deciding if I can face it before walking anywhere or taking the car more (much against my ecological principals) I haven't changed much, I still teach and as my students are beginners I have to do everything apart from floor work. I've adjusted my jazz routines to fit what I can do. (I'm getting right bored with the routines now as I'm losing out on floor stuff and openings!) But I wouldn't go for a leg wax or a massage now as I couldn't lie back or open my legs wide enough! Also I worry about sitting down anywhere for too long, for example in restaurants as I'm embarrassed by getting up and having to walk to go to the loo (English for toilet) I have loads of stairs at home which I force myself to run up and down instead of just walking them, I walk the dog every day in the countryside and I try to maintain a good pace. But instead of hiking for 2/3 hours on weekends, like we used to do 4 years ago we just manage 1 hour. How long an interval was it from the onset of hip problems until surgery? I decided last year that I'd go ahead and have the op as I'm down right fed up with the situation and I couldn't continue teaching next year if I don't, so altogether I'd say 10 good years. What factors, physical, emotional, financial, etc. influenced your final decision to have surgery? I can't continue to take pain killers for the rest of my life and I don't want to look like my neighbour, hobbling about on 2 crutches and hanging on for dear life. It's just too too painful and restricting. I want to get my life back! I won't be able to continue working if I don't operate and even just every day living is becoming too complicated. Not to mention the pain. I'm down right fed up with the situation and I've experienced moments of great frustraton and depression. Any dancer will probably say the same - seeing your body go down hill, not reacting anymore, stiffening up , slowing down - it's like it's no longer your own body but someone else's. Since deciding on the operation I feel like I'm at the end of a long dark tunnel, like I'm going to live again! I'm already thinking post op. Were there other dancers you spoke with that helped you? At first I only consulted your website and was encouraged by the stories I read, I thought hey! It can't be that bad. Then I did some Internet research and only once I'd accepted the situation (I was in negation for years and years) did I start talking to my mates about it, or at work. I now feel free, like a huge weight is going to come off my shoulders. I' m even becoming an arthritis bore, I can't stop talking about it. My man and I wonder why we didn't just organise this earlier and avoid all this pain? Surgery What influenced your choice of surgeon? Like you told me in reply to my e mail, you have to feel you've found THE SURGEON. I read Dr Laude's website, and just had a "feeling" about him. He's an experienced "resurfacer"! How long were you in the hospital? Hospital stay in France is 5 days obligatory after an operation so I'll be in/out/in/out as I'm having both hips done within 12 days interval (may as well get the whole thing over and done with as I don't have a good hip to stand on!) What kind of prosthesis did you get (e.g., ceramic ball/ceramic liner? poly liner? highly-crossed linked poly liner? all metal?)? I'm going for resurfacing which is why I've chosen Dr Laude. Metal. I shall send you another story post op so you can read the follow up. Posted April 25, 2009 Back to top |