PEDRO —
Unable to bend down to tie his shoes or walk without experiencing pain, Hardy Barker knew it was finally time to do something about the arthritis in his hips.
The 83-year-old from Pedro was used to enjoying an active lifestyle, tending to his 80-acre farm, but that became much more difficult when the trouble with his hips began about five or six years ago, said his daughter, Chela Burd. He still did what he could around the farm and worked at his grandson’s dog grooming shop in Ironton as a bather, but even simple tasks became more and more difficult.
“It was getting to where I couldn’t do hardly nothing. Dr. (Joe) Leith said my hips were about the worst he’d ever seen,” Barker said. “I didn’t do a whole lot on the farm. I stood to ride the tractor to mow and bale hay.”
Burd, 58, who lives on the family farm, said her father used to often go on walks with a friend. But a few years ago his friend could no longer walk with him because of health issues, so Barker started exercising less and the arthritis really began to set it.
“He was eventually just shuffling around,” Burd said.
Everyday tasks became so difficult that finally enough was enough. Barker decided to see a doctor, who scheduled surgery to replace both of his hips in November. Then 82, Barker was the first person to have bilateral hip surgery at Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital. The hospital staff, along with his family, was worried about how surgery at that age would affect him, so they decided to do a special procedure to make Barker’s recovery more speedy and less painful.
Dr. Joseph R. Leith of River Cities Bone & Joint Center in Ashland said he recommended Barker have his hips replaced using an anterior approach.
“He was a good candidate,” Leith said. “This procedure is not for everybody. It’s based on body size. It’s good for a quick recovery. About 80 percent of hip replacement patients are candidates for it.”
Leith used the Hana Hip Arthoplasty Table, which allowed him to reach the joint from the front of the hip instead of the side or back, which is the traditional method. Using this method meant fewer muscles were cut, which made for a quick recovery for Barker.
“I wasn’t nervous (for the surgery). I wanted to get it over with. I’d try just about anything,” Barker said.
Barker's surgery went well. Though the procedure he underwent was designed to cause less pain, pain was still expected, but for Barker it never came.
“He’s a tough old guy. He did wonderful. He went home on Tylenol,” Leith said. “He’s had a remarkable recovery. Most people need powerful pain medication.”
“After the surgery, they said, ‘Can you feel anything yet? Any pain?’ He said, ‘Pain? I don’t have pain.’ And he never took a pain pill,” Burd said.
“I never had a lot of pain. I felt better than I had in years,” Barker said. “I would have had more pain if I had a tooth pulled, I swear.”
The day after his surgery, Thanksgiving, Barker was standing and walking up and down the hospital hallways. He was supposed to remain in patient rehab for three weeks, but they found he only needed it for one.
“The only problem was trying to keep him from doing what he wasn’t supposed to. And, believe me, that was a chore,” Burd said.
After a while, Barker was allowed to do anything his body could tolerate, and he recovered quickly.
Although Barker, with the help of family members, hasn’t done much work in his garden since the arthritis set in, he hopes to get back out there and get back to work the next time his vegetables need harvesting.
Barker said he has no regrets about having the surgery and encourages anyone with a similar problem to go ahead and have the procedure done.
“When you can’t use your hips you’re in bad shape,” Barker said.
SHANNON MILLER can be reached at smiller@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2657.
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