When hip pain sidelined his training and daily activities, Ed Memmen turned to Dr. Colin Penrose at Midwest Center for Joint Replacement and found not only relief but also care grounded in compassion, connection, and faith.
For Ed Memmen, staying active has always been part of who he is. Whether he’s training for a marathon, working in his woodshop, or traveling with his wife, movement and purpose go hand in hand. But while training for the Monumental Marathon in Indianapolis, hip pain began to slow him down.
“I knew there was some kind of problem with my hip, but I had always put it off,” Ed recalls. “When it started to interfere with walking and training, I knew I had to explore what was going on. I didn’t want to make it worse.”
As it turned out, the solution came through a familiar face.
Connecting Through Care and Compassion
“I actually met Dr. Colin Penrose at church,” Ed says with a smile. “When I started having hip issues, I told him I wanted to come see him sometime and he pulled out his phone right there in church and made the appointment.”
From the very first visit, Ed knew he was in good hands.
“What stood out the most to me was Dr. Penrose’s compassion, his care, and his thoroughness,” Ed says. “And the most impressive thing was that he took time to pray with me; he prayed for the surgery, for everyone involved, and it was incredibly comforting.”
That sense of faith and connection carried Ed through surgery and recovery.
Returning to the Life He Loves
Ed’s goal was simple: to get back to doing what he loves: traveling, woodworking, and staying active.
“I love to travel with my wife, and that requires a lot of walking,” he says. “I also enjoy woodworking, which means bending, lifting, and moving around a lot.”
Just three and a half months after surgery, Ed was already back doing it all and more.
“I recently went fly fishing in North Carolina,” he says. “I was wading in a rocky river, and I did great. It felt amazing to be back doing what I love.”
Now, Ed’s days are once again filled with the things that bring him joy—and the pain that once held him back is gone.
“Thanks to Dr. Penrose and the team at MCJR,” he says, “I’ve been able to return to an active, healthy lifestyle—and do it with gratitude and faith.”
