After three years of continual limping, falling, pain and restricted activities, I finally have my life back. Before having surgery, I banged up my knees on rocks while rafting. I knew this was the time to do something about my knee. In July of 2007, I had the bi-compartmental partial knee replacement. I was 55 when I had the procedure done, and I wish I had it done sooner.

I am a special education teacher at Madison Memorial High School.  I kept putting off surgery because I thought I would have to miss a lot of school, and that wasn’t an option for me. Before the surgery, I got used to leaning on a desk when I had to get out of a low chair. My students would offer a hand when they could see me struggling. Pens and pencils weren’t worth picking up off the floor when I had so much pain.

I was blessed to have found Dr. Bartlett. He sat with me for an hour and half during my first appointment and made me feel comfortable and knowledgeable before I had the procedure done. He followed up with me to make sure I was doing better when I went back to school.

The recovery time for the bi-compartmental partial knee replacement is wonderful. My parents went through three total knee replacements, and mine seemed much simpler compared to theirs. Immediately after the surgery, physical therapy worked with me to get my knee strong. Physical therapy was essential to have a quick recovery. I used a walker for 2 weeks and then I was walking on my own. 

A month after the surgery I was able to garden, which I haven't done in three years. It wasn’t long before I was back in the yard playing Frisbee with my son. The last weekend in August I was able to go tent camping with my family.

For me, part was the surgery, and part was Dr. Bartlett to help me through my pain.

- Sue