After years of living with persistent pain in his right hip, Brookville resident Darren Brack decided enough was enough. A maintenance worker at the Franklin County Courthouse, his pain had gotten so bad it had become difficult to do his job, much less enjoy his favorite outdoor activities.

“During the winter, removing snow from sidewalks was a struggle,” said Darren. “I’d wake up in pain every morning thinking about how I was going to get through the day.”

A neighbor recommended Darren see Orthopaedic Surgeon William McDonald. After X-rays showed obvious damage to his hip joint, Darren scheduled his hip replacement at Margaret Mary Health.

“Dr. McDonald is a great doctor, but he’s also a cool guy,” said Darren. “An outdoorsman like myself, he understood how important it was for me to get back to doing the things I love. He made me feel comfortable. I’d never had surgery before so it was important to me to feel comfortable.”

On April 13, Darren’s surgery went smoothly, and he was pleased to be on his feet and moving later that day. By the end of the week, he started outpatient therapy with MMH’s rehab team to work on his strength, stamina and balance.

“When I woke from surgery, the first thing I noticed was the pain was gone,” said Darren. “From there, I progressed quickly. After just a few therapy sessions, things started loosening up, and I had better mobility. I thought I’d be laid up for awhile, but I was released to go back to work less than three weeks after surgery.”

Today, Darren is doing well and is grateful he no longer has to deal with hip pain during the workday. Of course, his real joy is found during his free time.

“Like I said, I’m an outdoorsman,” said Darren. “I love fishing and hunting. Last fall during deer season, it was difficult to get in my stand. It looks like this year is going to be a good deer season for me.”