Danette Conner had reached a point where her right knee pain was beginning to affect nearly everything she did. Whether she was walking throughout the Lowe’s store she works at in Bloomington, trying to stay active outdoors or simply getting through daily activities comfortably, the pain was becoming harder to ignore.
At 67 years old, Danette knew she did not want to spend the rest of her life limited by knee pain.
Seeking Out Care For Knee Discomfort
As the head of HR for Lowe’s in Bloomington, Danette spends much of her day on her feet. Over time, the pain became severe enough that she even visited the emergency room, where she learned she had significant arthritis in her knee.
After being told by another orthopedic provider that she would eventually need a knee replacement, Danette knew she needed to find the right team to help her move forward.
That search eventually led her to OrthoIndy and total joint replacement surgeon Dr. Eric Monesmith. After additional imaging and evaluation, Dr. Monesmith confirmed that knee replacement surgery would ultimately be necessary – whether now or later.
“At first, I was scared because I knew it was a major surgery,” Danette shared. “But I also knew I couldn’t continue to rely on temporary injections. I wanted to get back to living my life without constant pain.”
A Lifechanging Procedure
For Danette, her goal was simple: return to everyday life without pain constantly slowing her down.
She wanted to comfortably walk at work again, ride bikes, enjoy basic hiking trips and help her husband around their property like she used to before her knee pain became limiting.
Before surgery, Danette completed five weeks of physical therapy to strengthen her leg and prepare her body for recovery – something she now describes as one of the most important parts of the entire process.
“Doing physical therapy before surgery was huge for me,” she said. “It really helped prepare my muscles and made recovery so much easier afterward.”
Following surgery, Danette continued physical therapy and stayed committed to her at-home exercises. Her hard work paid off quickly, allowing her to return to work just three weeks after surgery.
And at her follow-up appointment, she was thrilled to hear she was healing well and progressing exactly as planned.
A New Life
Throughout her experience, Danette says the team at OrthoIndy made the process feel simple, supportive and reassuring from start to finish.
“Everything went really well,” Danette said. “All of my questions were answered before, during and after surgery. Dr. Monesmith had a great bedside manner, and all the nurses and doctors were so nice.”
Today, Danette is continuing to finish physical therapy and looks forward to fully returning to the active lifestyle she enjoys most – this time with far less pain. Reflecting on her care, she says the experience was far less intimidating than she originally feared.
“I can’t understand what the big deal is now,” she said with a laugh. “I highly recommend OrthoIndy. Just follow your care team’s instructions and do the therapy, as it makes all the difference.”
Hear more directly from Danette about her journey back to pain free living after knee replacement at OrthoIndy.
— Don’t live your life limited by pain. Additionally, learn how OrthoIndy’s team of specialists can help you get back to what you love doing most at orthoindy.com.
