Many chapters of her life read more like a horror story than a fairy tale though. Osteoarthritis brought years of pain and crippled her joints. In 1973 Barrish had her hips replaced. In 1997 she had both knees replaced. Dr. James DeOrio, an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., who implanted Barrish s two new ankles, says his patient may be one of a kind.
People typically don t have all six joints wear out.
That s unusual to begin with, DeOrio says. So to have both hips, both knees and both ankles replaced and be functioning and walking around is quite something. Barrish and family members spanning at least four generations suffer from a hereditary form of osteoarthritis. The disease destroys cartilage, the gliding material covering joints, and produces pain and swelling. Now 70, Barrish says she first began having symptoms of the disease in her late 30s.