Hilary Topper Blog

It all started with my friend Michelle. She had already had one knee replacement and was gearing up for her second—the other side—when she gave me some of the best advice I got through this whole process. She told me to ask my surgeon questions. Real questions. The kind you don’t think to ask until someone who’s been through it tells you to.

One of the first things Mic...

Let me tell you about the weirdest thing that ever happened to me. And trust me, I’ve had some weird things happen.

It all started with a cough. Not a cute little clear-your-throat cough. I’m talking about a full-body, can’t-catch-your-breath, “Is she okay over t...

For years, I was a loyal HSS patient. For anything orthopedic, I never even considered going anywhere else. I had my surgeon; I trusted her, and that was that.

The Recently Approved Hinge Detour

Here’s the thing. Dr. S. never pushed me toward the recently FDA-approved hinge. But she did tell me something that stuck: if I got a partial knee replacement, I’d never run ag...

Finding a restaurant that feels genuinely special can be tricky in New York, where great meals are everywhere but memorable ones are rare. Ai Fiori, an upscale spot tucked into Midtown Manhattan, delivered one of those nights I keep replaying in my head.

First Impressions: An Elegant Escape

Let me start with the room, because it sets the mood the moment you wal...

Every so often, you stumble across something small that hits way harder than you expect. That’s exactly what happened when I sat down to watch “Oh Deer,” a short film by Marjorie Lewit and Dante Russo. I watched it once, sat there stunned, and then hit play again. Twice in one sitting. That almost never happens.

If you love films that pack a punch in a short runtime, k...