Joy after Hip Replacement: Benjamin Mayfield
We love to celebrate stories of hope from patients who have seen life-changing results after joint replacement surgery. Many people come through our doors with chronic and nagging joint pain. But more of them leave with improved mobility and hope about their new lease on life. Today, we share the story of Benjamin Mayfield, a hip replacement patient of Dr. Josh Carter who is pain-free after decades of living with chronic hip pain.
Benjamin’s hip troubles began after a car accident in high school, during which he dislocated and broke his hip. Though he recovered after the initial injury, the lingering effects began to take their toll over the years.
“I didn’t have any pain until my thirties when I usually just felt it after overuse,” he said. “It gradually got worse until my early forties it was daily pain.”
Dealing with Daily Pain
As the pain worsened, Benjamin found himself relying on Tylenol and anti-inflammatories just to manage daily activities. The pain became increasingly unmanageable, affecting both his work and personal life. An industrial maintenance technician at Azteca Milling, Benjamin would lean on a cart carrying his tool bag so he could get around. At home, even the simplest tasks became a struggle: mowing his lawn took two days because he couldn’t handle pushing a lawnmower for too long.
But it wasn’t until a family trip to Chicago that Benjamin realized just how much his hip was limiting his life and affecting his family. While touring a university for his daughter, Benjamin’s hip was fine, but as they began walking around the Art Institute of Chicago, he realized he couldn’t make it through.
“I made it about an hour into it and couldn’t take the pain anymore. I told my fiancée and kids to keep going and I’d wait for them on a bench,” he said. “I think they felt bad for me and didn’t continue to see any more of the art. I felt really bad that my hip had affected my family also.”
Benjamin knew he could no longer put off the inevitable. When Benjamin’s primary care physician referred him for X-rays, he learned that things were worse than expected.
“You could see where the hip ball and socket had worn into each other so much they were losing their shape,” he said.
Benjamin began searching for a surgeon and found that Dr. Carter had a 5-star rating and exceptional reviews. So he made an appointment. Benjamin was immediately impressed by the professionalism and care of the entire team when he first walked in the MCJR doors. Dr. Carter did a thorough exam and recommended a total hip replacement, so Benjamin scheduled it two months out.
A Life-Changing Surgery
Though Benjamin was nervous about surgery, he counted down the days with joy knowing that years of pain were about to be a thing of the past. The day of outpatient surgery was smooth, and his hip pain was gone. He went home the same day and managed physical therapy on his own using the resources Dr. Carter’s team sent home with him.
About a week out, Benjamin experienced some delayed swelling, so he called the after-hours number on a Sunday morning.
“To my surprise, Dr. Carter called me back shortly after,” he said. “He troubleshooted it over the phone and gave me his prognosis. My fiancée and I were very impressed that he took time away from his family on a Sunday morning to call us back and spend 15 minutes on the phone with us.”
Within a week, Benjamin was walking with a cane. Three weeks out, he was back to work. A month out, he was walking a mile-long wooded trail.
A New Lease on Life
Benjamin says the hip replacement truly changed his life. He no longer lives in constant pain and is able to do things he hadn’t been able to do for years. He enjoys taking long walks on the beach and hiking trails with his dogs.
Benjamin’s advice to others is clear: don’t wait to seek help!
“I’ve told other people I know not to wait. There’s no need to keep suffering when it can be fixed. I lived for years in constant pain when I didn’t need to,” he said. “As soon as you can get a reference to a surgeon, do it. I took Tylenol and NSAIDs for a long time, possibly hurting my liver as I procrastinated doing the inevitable. I would have done the surgery years earlier if I could go back.”
Benjamin is deeply grateful for Dr. Carter and his team at MCJR.
“Dr. Carter and his team go above and beyond what is expected,” he said. “He’s very professional, caring, and friendly. I’ll forever be grateful for how they have helped me, and I couldn’t recommend him enough!!”
