THIS POST IS PART OF THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY
Spring break: the time of year that most families look forward to as they get ready to head south for warm weather, rest and relaxation. The Stumpf family headed to the peaceful beaches of Florida in March 2010 to get away from the hustle and bustle of their busy lives. OrthoIndy patient, Terry Stumpf, was thrilled to be lying on the beach with her kids, soaking up sun and watching her husband practice his hobby of flying stunt kites.
Knee injury
Terry, noticing her husband struggling to get his kite in the air, rushed to help him. As she took a running head start, she saw a few beach chairs in her path. She tried to avoid them but found herself in midair attempting to jump over them. She landed solely on her left leg which sent a shearing pain through her body. Terry had twisted her knee, shattering her tibial plateau and pulling the peroneal nerve.
Terry was rushed to an unfamiliar Florida hospital where she was immediately sent to the operating room. She had surgery performed that day and had a total of 20 screws put into her affected knee and leg. After a five day hospital stay, the Stumpf family could finally go home and focus on the recovery process.
Terry decided to visit OrthoIndy to get her X-rays examined and receive a course of action. She was referred to Dr. David Brokaw, who specializes in foot, ankle and general orthopedics; he concluded that the injury would need to completely heal before he could perform correctional surgery. Due to some complications, Terry had to endure two years of physical therapy and follow-up appointments. She, slowly but surely, was able to move out of the restraints of her wheelchair to walking independently.
Total knee replacement surgery
In February 2012 Dr. Brokaw determined that a total knee replacement would ensure Terry a lifetime of mobility and a quick recovery. In preparation for the total knee replacement, Dr. Brokaw removed the hardware that had been holding Terry’s knee together for the past two years.
Just one month later Dr. Brokaw referred Terry to Dr. Frank Kolisek, who specializes in total joint replacement of the knee and hip at OrthoIndy. Terry was excited to have surgery so she could get back to walking normally and continue her daily activities free of pain.
She had the surgery in March 2012 without complication and headed down, what looked like, a quick and painless recovery. “I had excellent care at OrthoIndy Hospital,” Terry explained; she was quickly on the road to recovery.
After regaining some strength in her knee Terry finally got back to doing the things she loved such as, gardening, hiking and going to the gym. She was thankful for all of the physicians at OrthoIndy but particularly, Dr. Brokaw.
“He took the time to get to know me, my cares and concerns,” said Terry. “Dr. Brokaw was able to explain my operations and procedures in terms that were easily understandable. It is always a joy to have an appointment with the doctors at OrthoIndy even if it is not under the best of circumstances!”
After all was said and done, Terry was thankful to be done dealing with her injury from almost two years ago.
Broken leg
Then, February 2014 Indiana’s winter got the best of Terry. She slipped on an icy patch and as she fell she remembered thinking, ‘my knee doesn’t bend this far.’ It was in that exact moment that she felt an earth shattering yet familiar pain shoot through her left leg. This was the same leg, she had just gotten done going through two years worth of surgery and physical therapy.
She was once again, rushed to the hospital and hurried to the operating room immediately following the diagnosis of a broken femur in her left leg.
Several months after her fall and surgery, she was still experiencing excruciating pain. She was now unable to garden and hike, which are two things that are very important to her. That was when she decided to revisit Dr. Brokaw. He took one look at her X-rays and read about the procedure she had; immediately he knew he would need to do another surgery. After a lot of thought and study of the injury, Terry had another test ordered to look at the possibility of the actual femur bone being infected.
Her test for infection unfortunately, came back positive. So on November 7, 2014, Dr. Brokaw went in and inserted antibiotic beads, a rod and a few screws to repair the broken femur. The procedure went very well and Terry once again, started physical therapy. Terry is very thankful to be walking again, even if it is with a cane sometimes. “The fact that I am walking at all is a testament to Dr. Brokaw and Dr. Kolisek,” explained Terry.
Terry doesn’t let any of her pervious injuries or procedures hold her back from living her life to the fullest. Apart from going to just about any sports game, she and her husband were able to watch all of their children graduate from several different universities and schools.
Terry said, “One of my biggest and proudest moments was when my son married my lovely daughter-in-law in Savannah, Georgia. I was able to put my cane aside and dance the mother/son dance.”
She is ready to take on whatever life gives her, with a happy attitude and a supportive family by her side.
“From the receptionists, hospital employees, physician assistants and the physicians, I have always been treated with respect and care. The PA’s, Dr. Brokaw and Dr. Kolisek felt like good friends by the time I was dismissed from their care,” said Terry.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Brokaw, please call 317.917.4388 or learn more about foot and ankle treatment at OrthoIndy. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kolisek, please call 317.884.5160 or learn more about knee replacement surgery.
Schedule an appointment
Your well-being is important to us. Click the button below or call us to schedule an appointment with one of our orthopedic specialists. If your injury or condition is recent, you can walk right into one of our OrthoIndy Urgent Care locations for immediate care. For rehabilitation and physical therapy, no referral is needed to see one of our physical therapists.
