“Knee pain really hadn’t been bothering me much until one morning I took a step and felt a sharp pain in my right knee. It became almost unbearable to walk. Every step was excruciating.”
Unlike some people’s experience, where knee pain begins and progresses slowly over months or years, Bill Garrison’s knee pain came about suddenly and demanded immediate attention.
“I was already seeing Dr. Millis to manage my shoulder pain,” said Bill, “So, I called Orthopedics to see about getting in for my knee. Dr. Norgard had recently started at Winona Health and I was able to get in with him right away.”
Bill mentioned that it’s not surprising that some of his joints are wearing out. His nearly 40-year career in retail has been active, on his feet all day and going up and down ladders. He said that it was pretty common to log about 20,000 steps in a typical day. And during his time off, he doesn’t do a lot of sitting around either. He has several bikes and he and his wife enjoy getting out on the many trails.
“When I met Dr. Norgard, we talked about my knee and he did an evaluation including having had some images taken right there in the clinic. He is just an all-around nice guy – easy to talk to and a hoot-and-a-half. He’s very funny, which put me at ease. We found that the meniscus on the inside of my right knee was gone –my knee was bone on bone. We talked about options and then laid out a plan for knee replacement. He really explained in detail what to expect. I appreciated that he told me how it was going to be.”
Dr. Norgard explains, “Many times, there are more conservative steps to take before considering joint replacement surgery. When joint replacement is the best option, we have a detailed conversation about what the procedure entails including expected outcomes, recovery time and any specific requirements a patient needs to be aware of.”
Bill said his surgery went well, and he started physical therapy at Winona Health two or three days after surgery. “PT is worth its weight in gold. Stephen and Lucas – those guys are the best. Kudos to them. They got me moving and even used an electronic muscle stimulator, which was pretty cool, to help me get started. The at-home exercises they showed me how to do definitely helped, too. I actually was able to return to work in 10 weeks rather than the 12 weeks I anticipated.”
Dr. Norgard notes that physical therapy is crucial after knee replacement. Lucas Barbknecht, PT, DPT, and Stephen Kennedy, PTA, worked with Bill to develop a plan to safely build back strength, restore motion and flexibility, relieve pain and ensure recovery and long-term success.
Bill said his best advice to others who get a knee replaced is, “Follow Dr. Norgard’s instructions about taking pain medication as prescribed to stay ahead of the pain. That was super important in those first couple of weeks. And you’ve got to be willing to follow the recovery plan after surgery – it’s so helpful.”
Bill is now also doing physical therapy to keep his left knee strong so he can postpone getting it replaced as long as possible. He said, “PT has really been helping, but I wouldn’t hesitate to have Dr. Norgard replace that one too if necessary.”
Today, Bill is back to work and able to do all the activities he enjoys – like tending his garden and riding his bike. He said, “I started biking as a little kid and just fell in love with the freedom of it.” He’s looking forward to getting back on his bike and hitting the trails again.
“I’d tell anyone that orthopedic care at Winona Health is top-notch. We’ve got Dr. Millis and Dr. Norgard and their PT team. Why would I want to drive somewhere else when I can get this kind of care right here in town?”
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Pictured: Bill Garrison has always loved the feeling of freedom he gets when riding his bike. After a knee replacement and physical therapy at Winona Health, he’s looking forward to getting back on his bike and hitting the scenic Winona-area trails again.
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