Because of my orthopaedic care, I can climb the world’s highest mountains, including Mt. Everest!

In 2006, at the age of 61, I finally started to exercise and by early 2007 was in good enough shape to take up a lifelong dream to climb high mountains.  Following two mountaineering courses, I signed up to climb Mt. Rainier in August of 2007 but, just five days before this expedition, I suffered a displaced left femoral fracture in a serious bicycle accident in northern New Hampshire.  My hip was pinned together that day but the repair failed and eleven weeks later I underwent a total hip replacement, performed by Dr. Thomas Sculco at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

Ninety days later, after extensive physical therapy, I started to climb again and finally climbed Mt. Rainier in June of 2008.  From there, I climbed three 19,000+ ft. peaks in Ecuador, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Denali (Mt. McKinley) and, on May 24, 2010, reached the summit of Mt. Everest, fulfilling a goal I set back in 2007.

In February of this year I summited Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America.  Having completed the four hardest of the “Seven Summits” (the highest mountain on each continent), I am determined to complete the remaining ones over the next few years.

The day of the bicycle accident, I feared I would not be able to walk again, much less climb high mountains.  But the fantastic orthopaedic treatment I received that day and the subsequent total hip replacement changed all that.  I have been able to climb with my titanium hip without any problems.