Shannon Miller, Swansboro, NC

I can’t thank you enough for ALL you have done for me. Your generosity is overwhelming. Dr. Mather is an excellent physician, and I am confident that his opinion (and yours!) is good. I have agreed to do surgery to repair my labrum and remove a bone spur on my left hip. X-rays show an identical spur on my right hip; I know that if I spend much longer limping around and overcompensating with my right hip that I may end up detaching my labrum on that side as well. I feel peace about the decision. I’m ready to get back to swimming laps and paddle-boarding! My surgery is April 3rd at Duke Raleigh, the same hospital where I had my shoulder surgery. Because I had such an excellent experience there, I consider it a blessing to go to Duke Raleigh again.

Thank you, friend, for sharing your experience, time and knowledge to make me whole again!

PS You have actually helped me many other times. You first encouraged me to go gluten free, and I have experienced a better quality of life by that simple change to my diet. You also helped me understand in 2011 that surgery was okay if I had gone through PT and given it 100% without much improvement for arthritis in my AC joint. I’ve always been one to push through the pain, believing that to listen to my body was equivalent to quitting or giving in to my rheumatoid arthritis. You have told me more than once that my stubbornness could be doing more damage (though you said it in much nicer words!).

Thanks for your knowledge and compassion for women’s health!

Shannon