Cynthia O’Malley
Cynthia O’Malley has always traveled extensively, for family, business and pleasure. She has a son and grandchildren on the west coast; she has a demanding job that requires long-haul flights to Europe and Asia; and like many New Englanders, she likes to escape somewhere warm toward the end of winter.
It all takes a lot of energy and a good pair of walking shoes. So when O’Malley began to experience severe pain in her hip, interfering with her ability to walk and stand comfortably, she knew she had to act.
“I had first noticed that my hip was hurting in March. By that fall, it was getting worse and worse, and I was scheduled to travel to China,” she says. “I just wasn’t sure I could manage it, or get out to California to see my grandchildren.”
After months of coping with the worsening pain, O’Malley decided to follow up on a friend’s recommendation to contact Newport Hospital.
Today she is back to flying around the globe, keeping up with her busy work, social and family life—and doing it all pain-free.
“I was limping, I could only stand for a few minutes, it was hurting when I lay down to sleep; I just couldn’t wait any longer," said O’Malley. "[The doctor] got me in right away—he walked in and said, ‘You must have a high tolerance for pain! I saw your x-rays, and I’m going to take care of you.’ My hip was so deteriorated, he could see what I was going through. This was early December—he said, ‘You’re going to come back in two weeks, and within 90 minutes you’re going to be out of pain. You need to be out of pain by Christmas.’”
O’Malley came in to Newport Hospital for a total hip replacement just before the holiday. She was amazed at the speed and ease of her recovery.
“I woke up from the surgery, and felt totally fine, like I had woken up from a nap; the team was able to do a spinal block rather than full anesthesia, and it helped so much—no nausea, no feeling disoriented.
“I really recovered so beautifully—I had two physical therapy sessions the day of surgery, and I was able to walk around the hall and even climbed a set of stairs; I went home the next day. I used the crutches at first, but in days I didn’t even need those. I was only out of work for four weeks.”
Today she is back to flying around the globe, keeping up with her busy work, social and family life—and doing it all pain-free.
Says O’Malley, “It was just a fabulous experience.”