My Comeback Story: Lisa G.

I can't say enough good things about this practice! Everyone I have come in contact with here has been so supportive and encouraging. Arthritis runs through my family's genetics on both sides (my grandmother was in a wheelchair because of her bad knees!) I'm certain she would have loved to experience today's procedures. In the months before my knee replacement, I was also doing PT for a broken pelvic bone. Tiny bone, big hurt!! The only thing to heal it was a lot of time and physical therapy. I can't thank Shawn (Brown), Julia, and Ericka at Willow Street enough.....they did so much to get me through that pain!! When the bone had healed enough, Dr. Cooke replaced my knee.....best decision I made! Dr. Cooke is so awesome because he is not only compassionate, he has a sense of humor - and that was perfect for a patient like me! And no overnight in the hospital! Arrived at North Pointe at 6:15 AM and left around 11:45 a.m. Surgery only took 90 minutes. (Yes, this was a total knee) Healing at home was wonderful (my cousin was with me) - I found I had about four days of "bad" pain, which began to alleviate afterwards. I did have a lot of swelling....ice and elevation! DO YOUR EXERCISES AT HOME (can't emphasize that enough) and do them several times a day! You will have prescription pain meds for the first two weeks. I didn't want to take them, but they were MUCH appreciated for those two weeks!! Progression to Aleve and then Tylenol is monitored carefully. Shawn and the company got to see me again after the surgery - only two weeks post-surgery, Dr. Cooke and Shawn had me on the recumbent bike. I could only get my leg over the top a couple of times at first. Two weeks later, I was riding a mile and a half in 10 minutes. AGAIN - DO YOUR PT EXERCISES AT HOME two/three times a day! My surgery was in the middle of December, and by February, I was asking Shawn for those custom-fit orthotics so I could resume my walking regimen. They're better than the GFS!! (don't want to spell out competitors). Today: I am back to my 10,000 steps a day (only didn't make goal 5 times this year), rode my bike 500 miles this past year, hiked the Smokey Mountains, and toured many interesting places on my bucket list, including the Ark and Creation Museum. I do a lot of incline training and ride rollercoasters. I give the credit to God for His healing - but He definitely worked through: Dr. Chris Cooke, "Dr. Jess", Dr. A. Shawn Brown. My relationship with OAL continues - I'm now getting my hand injections with Dr. Munn!!!