My Comeback Story: Gary M.

My right knee clicked and twinged as I bumped a fence panel onto the trailer with my hip. At my age, a day of horse chores often meant sore this or sore that, so I thought little about it. That is, until a few days later, when I nearly splatted face first in the movie theater parking lot as that same knee spontaneously gave out. The next step was a painful hobble, and the next procedural step was to ring up Flagstaff Bone & Joint, because over the past few years it had proven to be the best medical practice I have ever experienced.

A same day appointment, forty five minutes from check in to X ray and discussion of the diagnosis, and the pieces (no pun intended) fell into place: physical therapy helped, but not enough. An MRI disclosed complex meniscus tears, bone on bone grinding, and consequent (ahem) pain.

I had confidence in Flagstaff Bone & Joint. Dr. Flint had previously done a spectacular job piecing my shoulder together after horse and gravity conspired to ruin it, and my knee surgeon, Dr. Moezzi, had patched a torn meniscus some years ago. Nonetheless, angst hovered, as I love backpacking and worried that anything less than perfection might hobble me in a different way. But I took comfort in the information brochure, whose cover depicted a hiker gazing into the high mountains.

Surgery ensued, as did a week of nearly full misery, followed by a week of "misery but golly something in the background seems better," followed by nine weeks of amazingly swift recovery. Pain, yes, but steadily diminishing as daily routines returned.

And by week eleven, I realized what great medical care can bring: I was hiking with a full pack and a large grandson, at 11,000 feet above sea level in Colorado’s San Juans. Getting the full use of my leg back was and is wonderful. But experiencing that hike…

Priceless!