I am 45 years old and teach high school Social Studies. I played baseball my entire life and coached high school baseball for 20 years. I also play and coach tennis and ski. Unfortunately, at the age of 12, my knees started to dislocate and eventually required surgery to stop the dislocations. The surgeries successfully stopped the dislocations, however, the damage to the joint was already done and would only get worse over time. I was told that I would have early arthritis. The pain, in addition to the clunking and grinding when using stairs, became worse and when I was even in pain after sitting for longer periods of time, I knew it was time to do something.
On January 17 2018, I visited Dr. Beth Shubin Stein who looked at my MRI and told me that I was suffering from severe arthritis in both knees and it was time for a patellofemoral replacement as well as a MPFL reconstruction on both knees. As soon as I met Dr. Shubin Stein I knew I was in the right place. Her confidence as well as how she explained the procedure and told me that she could fix my knees put my wife and I at ease.
I underwent surgery on February 23, 2018 on my left knee and then again on June 8, 2018 on my right knee. Both surgeries were a success and the crunching/grinding noises and pain from arthritis are gone. For the first time in over 30 years I am able to walk stairs pain-free and without the experience of the grinding and crunching that my knees previously had. I am also able to once again get up from a chair without pain. My quality of life has already improved and I am not even 6 weeks out of my last surgery.
I just got home from my 6 week follow up with Dr. Shubin Stein today and was so excited that I was able to walk without pain when Dr. Shubin Stein had me walk without my post-surgical brace. What made me feel even better was to see how happy Dr. Shubin Stein was for me. I am looking forward to continuing my recovery and getting back to everything I used to do only now without pain. My biggest challenge right now, because I feel so good, is to hold myself back and let the remaining healing and strengthening to finish.
I can’t thank Dr. Shubin Stein, Sarah, Erika and the entire staff for everything they have done for me. Thank you Dr. Shubin Stein for helping me remember what it is like to be pain-free.
Mike Carver
All by Physician