Surgery Brings More Than a Moment of Relief

For many, a good night's sleep isn't an exciting or momentous occasion, but for Duncan Grace it was a welcome relief.

Diagnosed with arthritis in both hips the constant pain kept him from sitting for more than 15-20 minutes at a time. He had to constantly get up and walk.

"At work I was conducting some meetings on my knees," says Duncan, a partner at Miller Thomson LLP. "I had trouble going out to dinner at a nice restaurant and sleep didn't happen."

The solution was to replace his right hip. By the time of his surgery, the inability to stay asleep for very long was the most unrelenting frustration, leaving him feeling exhausted, testy and irritable. In contrast to his physical discomfort, Duncan felt at ease from the moment he saw orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Bourne and his team.

"What I can honestly say is I found everyone very kind - from the pre-op process to admission," he says. "I remember the O.R. nurses being very calming, and everyone was truly terrific - even the orderly delivering food had me giggling with a very funny monologue."

Before he walked into the hospital Duncan felt like he was in a 95-year-old man's body. Today, post-surgery, he no longer feels the pain caused by arthritis. According to renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Robert Bourne, financial support from donors help to make advancements in the orthopaedics program possible.

"Joint replacements have evolved greatly and in many ways," says Dr. Bourne. "We have new bearing surfaces, which allow us to do joint replacements in patients such as Mr. Grace at a young age with the hope that it might last a lifetime, which was not true even 10 years ago."

Duncan loves to walk. Before his surgery, going any distance was a problem. Where he couldn't even tie his skates on his own before, now he's able to skate, and run at lacrosse practice with his son's team. Tennis had become almost impossible before the surgery, but now he plays periodically with no discomfort in his repaired hip. It didn't take long before he was sleeping better as well.

"It really has been life-restoring. I'm my old self," he says. "It's given me the ability to walk without thinking of pain; to sit without a definite time at which I have to get up and walk around; I can pick up my son; I can do all of life's normal activities."

Duncan's youngest son has cerebral palsy, and before his surgery the vast majority of the lifting was done by his wife.

"I can now do my part far more easily," Duncan says with a smile.

Miller Thomson LLP, recognizing the contributions the Hospital makes to people's lives in the local community and beyond, is a stalwart supporter and a sponsor of fundraising efforts by London Health Sciences Foundation.

And when asked how he feels about London Health Sciences Centre, Duncan doesn't hesitate for a moment, "I can't imagine us without this fabulous resource we have in our own back yard."

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Learn more about London Health Sciences Centre's Joint Replacement Surgery program.