George Trujillo has always been physically active. His favorite sports? Skiing and skiing. “Summer and winter,” he said.
He also loves biking, hiking, mountain climbing, dirt bikes, and motorcycles. “Since I was a kid, I was always out and about on my motorcycle,” he said. “There were always a lot of places to go and see.”
Several years ago, Trujillo was forced to give up almost all of his favorite activities because of severe arthritis in his left hip. Earlier this year, he had joint replacement surgery. Before surgery, the pain was so bad he wasn’t sure if he would ever be physically active again. Now, he’s back on his feet, prepping for this winter’s ski season.
Trujillo was just 25 years old when he injured his hip while working as a miner. “I had an accident at the mine, and I banged up my hip and sprained my knee,” he said. “It got better and healed, but I was down for a few weeks, and all of my issues started from there.”
His hip continued to bother Trujillo over the coming years. The pain didn’t stop him from being active until he had another accident in 2009. While working on his roof, he fell and suffered eight fractures in his pelvis, a broken vertebrae in his back, a broken wrist, and a broken arm.
“The pain in my hip came back with a vengeance after that accident,” Trujillo said. “That’s when things started going south.” Even though he still skied year-round, things got worse and worse. He started thinking about getting a hip replacement in 2012. He even scheduled hip replacement surgery in St. George, Utah, but ended up canceling the surgery multiple times because of life circumstances.
He postponed the surgery indefinitely until 2024, 12 years after the severe pain set in. “I’ve always been rough and tumble and ready to go do anything,” he said. “But last year I decided I’ve got to get this done.”
A friend of Trujillo’s told him about The Miners Hospital at 鶹ѧƷ. Established in 2004, The Miners Hospital provides health care to disabled Utah miners with mining-related illnesses or injuries. After a phone consultation, Trujillo drove from St. George to Provo for a thorough evaluation. He then met with orthopedic surgeon Lucas Anderson, MD to discuss his options.
“When I first met with George, he had been dealing with severe hip pain for more than 10 years,” Anderson said. “He was a great candidate for joint replacement surgery.”
From there, everything fell into place in less than 10 days, and on March 7, 2025, Trujillo had a successful total hip replacement performed by Anderson.
Trujillo felt a big improvement in his hip almost immediately.
“The next morning after surgery I just took a big breath of fresh air and said, ‘What’s that? No pain!’” he said. Trujillo used crutches right after surgery but was soon walking on his own. From there, he did everything he could to ensure a smooth recovery, and it has paid off.
His cardiovascular health is improving, and his hip pain is nearly non-existent. “Before, when I was packing around the bum leg, my level of pain was always a seven or an eight,” he said. “When the hip would clank around in the socket, that would take my breath away and stop me cold.”
Now, Trujillo says the pain is a one or a two. He recently started working out again, doing weighted squats and lunges. He also does physical therapy and agility exercises and is preparing for the upcoming ski season.
Trujillo has always believed that going and doing is the best way to live a long and healthy life. In June, he returned to his process control engineer position in Salt Lake City.
While he’s not at work, he spends time with his wife, three kids, and seven grandchildren. He is also helping his two sons remodel their homes in Salt Lake City.
“One of my sisters says she knows that when it’s time for me to die, I will just slide into the coffin,” he said.
Even though he had many years of hip pain, he’s glad he took his time to get his hip replaced.
“Dr. Anderson was terrific,” he said. “I definitely found the right guy at the right time. He was exact, concise, and extremely knowledgeable. The proof is in the pudding.”