Dameron Hospital | Health Outlook | Summer 2019

6 HEALTH OUTLOOK Feeling weak in the knees Jonee also shared her own Dameron Hospital experience. As she started explaining how she began feeling weak in the knees, one might assume it was from the excitement of being in the arms of her high school sweetheart again. Unfortunately, it was more a matter of developing severe arthritis in both knees. “I’d been suffering from knee pain that limited my ability to function for quite some time and received a variety of treatments to deal with the pain in both knees by Dr. Mikaelian,” Jonee explains. “I was so excited to have Knut by my side again as we began enjoying our new life together, but my knees kept reminding me that we weren’t teenagers anymore. Many activities were challenging, especially using the stairs. It was clear I needed to do something after I fell on the stairs, which aggravated my limitations. Before my retirement I was already struggling with simple tasks. Walking, standing and shopping became more and more difficult. The shopping cart became more important as a support device instead of being used to carry groceries.” “When Jonee first came to me, we tried things like cortisone shots and exercises to try to control the pain,” recalls Kevin Mikaelian, MD, an orthopedic surgeon who is also the medical director for Dameron Hospital’s Rapid Strides Accelerated Recovery Knee Replacement Program. “We also performed an arthroscopic procedure to remove damaged cartilage and other particles in her right knee. While these treatments helped for a period of time, they don’t cure osteoarthritis, which is a degenerative disease. I really leave it to my patients to decide when they are ready to have their knee replaced in order to lead the life they want.” A positive experience Jonee had her right knee replaced in late 2017 and her left knee replaced in early 2018 by Dr. Mikaelian. He used the minimally invasive procedure that he performs exclusively at Dameron Hospital that results in a very short recovery period. (See page 2 for details.) “I have to say that my entire experience with Dr. Mikaelian and the care at Dameron was so positive and reassuring,” says Jonee. “Everyone knew exactly what to do, and they took the time to explain things to me and made sure that I was as comfortable as possible. They were so attentive and concerned about my well-being, I felt like I was a member of their family. I didn’t feel anxious and knew that everything was going to be all right. “I highly recommend this knee procedure to anyone suffering from the same thing I had,” continues Jonee. “I was back on my feet so quickly and am now able to take walks with Knut and be there for him as he goes through his cardiac rehab therapy.” “It’s really important to note that each of us had our own respective experiences as patients and as concerned family members at Dameron,” adds Knut. “And it’s very clear that the high level of expertise, compassion and warmth of the staff and physicians sets the standard for every other hospital. We’re so grateful for the care we received, and we sincerely thank everyone at Dameron Hospital for helping us live, laugh and love again!” To live, laugh and love again —Continued from page 5 Kevin Mikaelian, MD Orthopedic surgeon, Rapid Strides medical director