View Full Version : Thru hiker with two artificial hips?
wilconow
05-14-2006, 12:10
I met a NOBO yesterday in Shenadoah (little north of Bootens Gap) who said he would be the first to complete a thru with two artificial hips. Said he didn't have a trailjournal, and I didn't get his trailname. Anyone else know of him?
Thanks.
I met a NOBO yesterday in Shenadoah (little north of Bootens Gap) who said he would be the first to complete a thru with two artificial hips. Said he didn't have a trailjournal, and I didn't get his trailname. Anyone else know of him?
Thanks.
Don't remember meeting him but would be interested in knowing who it is. My good friend, the IDHFH, is the only person I know to thruhike with one artifical hip. He got one of the the early models back in the 70s. He still walks more than most anyone I know.
Big Daddy D
05-14-2006, 19:41
I sure hope the hiker with two replacement hips can make the trip!
In February, I had a bad fall and broke my left hipsocket which was screwed together during surgery (hence the broken and screwed title).
Also, just for fun, I broke my left shoulder ball which has mended in place without surgery. So, I am very anxious to see how I will mend so that I can hike the PCT next year (had planned to this year!) Eventually I also will probably need a hip replacement, so I can "feel his pain" as they say.
Big Daddy D:(
A woman named Mr. T thru'd with an artificial hip in '04, against doctors advice if I remember correctly. She made it too! One tough little cookie.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
05-14-2006, 21:22
It would be really hard to thru with artificial hips. You can't cross one leg in front of the other with artificial hips. I have broken my hip and have a giant screw in there - guess I'm broken and screwed II :D
WOW I am realy glad to read this thread. I am planing on wanting to hike the AT in a few years and have authoritis bad. Make me feel like maybe there is a chance I can realy do it if they can
BOY THANKS FOR SHARING THAT
Frolicking Dinosaurs
05-14-2006, 22:29
Welcome to the forum, Yo-Yo. There are several people here hiking with serius disabilities and health problems. It can be done - we are living proof.
wilconow
05-14-2006, 23:00
I suppose now is a pretty poor time to say I'm not sure if the guy was on the level?
Frolicking Dinosaurs
05-14-2006, 23:06
Even if he was not legit, I know a hiker with two artificial hips. He can't hike the whole AT, but his hips aren't what's preventing it - his job is.
wilconow
05-14-2006, 23:19
First thing that seemed a bit odd - He said he was an endurance athlete.. then a Dr. gave him some medication... and his hips went.
Now, I'm far from having average knowledge of medical cause/effect. But how can a reaction to medicine affect the condition of your hips so they must be removed?
He used some long term I never heard before (no it's not arthritis) :confused: , maybe it was for why he was taking the medicine to begin with
I met the thru hiker with the two artifical hips near Mt. Rogers toward the end of April - his trail name was the Can Do Man. If I remember correctly the medicine he had a bad reaction to (or whatever it was I didn't quite follow that part) was prednisone. Somehow this med resulted in some blood problem that caused his cartilage in his hips to disintegrate.
wilconow
05-15-2006, 09:18
Thanks HOI
I want to believe the guy.. it certainly made for an interesting and inspiring story. But, there were a couple weird things about my encounter with him which made me wonder :-?
I was hiking in the opposite direction and saw him sitting on a stump with his pack. After asking him how is it going he says, "Well, I've been hiking 900 miles and it's gotten to a point where I'm always hungry"
So the first thing I say is that shouldn't your insatiable hunger come before 900 miles?
And he just kind of shrugs and takes out 2 cereal bars and explains he's basically down to this. He also had a cheeseburger he was eating that he said a lady gave to him earlier.
I'm thinking, whatever happened to being self-sufficient? What if he was an area where other people aren't around? It's only 2pm
I tell him that Skyland Lodge with the restaurant isn't far away. He says he'll have the blueberry shake, but because of hips, he's on a fixed income and can't afford a big meal.
Now, this combined with showing me that he was down to two cereal bars (translated- he was asking me for food) and that he got a cheeseburger from some other people... I couldn't help but think if for whatever reason someone can't supply a reasonable amount of food to keep going, then it may not be a good idea to be out there...
He continues to tell me for about 10 minutes how he felt like a victim when the hips thing happened, and he sat around and became an alcoholic.. But then one day decided to stop drinking and soon after planned to hike the AT
I thanked him, wished him luck, said it was an inspiring story, and gave him a power bar.
I work with a guy that happend to. Some kind of reaction to prednisone. They tried drilling holes in his hips to increase the blood flow but that didn't work so they had to replace both of them.I don't know if this "thu-hiker" is on the level but the hip thing is possibile
I met a NOBO yesterday in Shenadoah (little north of Bootens Gap) who said he would be the first to complete a thru with two artificial hips. Said he didn't have a trailjournal, and I didn't get his trailname. Anyone else know of him?Thanks.
is this the same thru-hiker that is hiking with 3 teeth missing?:D hehehehehehe!
wilconow
05-15-2006, 11:04
I work with a guy that happend to. Some kind of reaction to prednisone. They tried drilling holes in his hips to increase the blood flow but that didn't work so they had to replace both of them.I don't know if this "thu-hiker" is on the level but the hip thing is possibile
Well that certainly seems to make sense. Again, it's an amazing story and I have a lot of respect for the guy. It was more of his lack of food that made me :confused:
Oh well, it was a very flat part of the trail, at least this made it interesting.
Tim Rich
05-15-2006, 13:11
When I had just started sectioning north, I met a SOBO in the Fall of 1989 not too far from the GA/NC border who had an artificial hip and an artificial knee on the same side. He was hiking with his wife, and used a heavy cane. Said he had tried thruhiking in '88 but had problems. I don't remember his name, but I believe he was from Cincinnati. He had about a 100 miles to go, and said he'd crawl the rest of the way if he had to.
Take Care,
Tim
Frolicking Dinosaurs
05-15-2006, 20:36
Avascular necrosis (lack of blood flow causing bone death) is something that can cause hip replacements to be necessary. Steroids can interrupt blood flow. I was watched closely for the first 18 months after my broken mid-femur and hip for signs of this. Anything that reduces the blood flow to the area can cause it.
The agressive Yogi'ing is weird.