Brian Watters, aged 73 from Bristol had double hip surgery.
"For a couple of years my local GP thought I had a back problem. I had some injections which didn’t do any good. It was then that I found out the pain I was experiencing was coming from my hip and that I needed a double hip replacement.
I was a banker in different places around the world until my retirement in 1997. I’ve always had a love of the outdoors so being mobile into later life is really important to me. I’ve always been very active and the thought of slowing down was just not me. I made sure I did all the exercises my physio showed me after the operation.
Now I walk up to five miles a day with my dog, I can wrestle sheep to the ground at shearing time and generally just do most things I need to do here on Exmoor, such as looking after my horses. I’m not in pain and my back is straight, so I’ve gained a few inches!
I also bring up logs from the woodland that surrounds my house and chop up a large one every day which keeps my muscles working and makes sure we stay warm in the winter!
Staying active after such a huge operation has enabled me to keep my independence and enjoy my retirement to the full."