I had struggled with knee pain for many years. Having been a basketball player as a teen and young adult in college, my knees underwent a lot of wear and tear. After a couple of decades of dealing with the pain and after lots of research, I finally had a knee replacement. When I woke up I was no longer in pain, which was very strange for me, because everyday was painful for me. Being an athlete you don’t like to feel venerable, you want to get back in the game and in my as a police officer its good to get back into the game.
Mentally it affected me more than physically, because you are in pain you lash out and dealing with the pain, I self medicated with alcohol, over the counter medications, anything I could do just to numb what I was feeling and that was not right, because my work suffered from my knee pain. So then I had to sit down and analyze why I was going through what I was going through and how to make it better.
The care I received at the St. Vincent Medical Center Joint Replacement Center in Los Angeles was phenomenal, all of the nurses, the physicians assistants, who actually closed the incision, she said she wanted to give it a female touch to it so the scar wouldn’t be so bad. Thank you so much, so you have that kind of care and compassion. Every time I come here for my appointments I don’t have to wait that long. I go in and everyone is professional, they call you by your first name, so its one big happy family here. When I come here to visit now they come and give me hugs and things like that. You feel welcome here and Dr. Schmalzried is a top notch professional. I couldn’t ask for a better orthopedic surgeon.
My outlook in life is a lot better. My attitude is a lot better, people are happy to be around me, because when you are in pain, no one wants to be around you because you are a nightmare to be around. I have no pain when I get in and out of cars. I can run if I want to. I’m just having a really good second half of my life now.
If you have been suffering with long-term joint pain, don't cope with it, talk to a doctor and discuss your options. No one should suffer with pain when they don't have to.