For most of her life, Lesley Neeley has dedicated herself to helping others. As a comfort care specialist, she has spent decades helping people through some of the most difficult challenges of their lives, guiding them through pain, loss, change and uncertainty. Supporting others isn’t just what she does, it’s a significant part of who she is. So when severe arthritis began affecting her mobility in her early 50s, the impact reached far beyond physical discomfort.
As the pain worsened, everyday activities became more difficult, and eventually it started affecting her ability to work. The career she loved, and the opportunity to care for others in the way she always had, began slipping out of reach. For three years, Lesley was on total disability.
“It was frustrating,” she said. “I wasn’t able to do what I loved to do.”
The physical limitations were challenging, but the emotional toll was equally difficult. As someone whose life revolved around helping others, being unable to work left her feeling as though she had lost an important part of her identity. At the same time, she struggled to find clear answers. Despite seeing multiple orthopedic providers, she often left appointments feeling unheard.
“I felt like people were looking at the arthritis and my age, telling me I was too young for joint replacements, but they weren’t really looking at how it was affecting my life.”
After seeing other orthopedic surgeons and feeling like no one was truly seeing her as a person, Lesley became determined that there had to be another way. That search eventually led her to Central Indiana Orthopedics.
From her first visit, she noticed a difference. The staff was welcoming and attentive, and the entire experience felt personal. But it was her first conversation with Dr. Brian Camilleri that stood out most.
“There was just this relaxed moment,” Lesley recalled. “He wasn’t in a hurry. He wanted to learn about me.”
Rather than rushing through the appointment, Dr. Camilleri took the time to understand her work, her goals and what she was no longer able to do because of the pain.
“He had a conversation with me that nobody else had,” Lesley said. “He talked to me about my quality of life and what was important to me.”
That conversation became a turning point. For the first time, she felt like someone was looking beyond the diagnosis and seeing the whole person sitting in front of them. As a comfort care specialist, she understood how powerful that could be.
“I felt like somebody cared about me and what was going to happen to my life,” she said. “That was huge.”
One comment from Dr. Camilleri has stayed with her throughout her journey.
“He told me, ‘If you were my sister, I would recommend knee replacement, but I would start with a scope.'”
The recommendation reflected what Lesley valued most about her experience at CIO: personalized care. She never felt like she was being pushed toward a particular treatment. Instead, she felt like her story was being heard and her options were being carefully considered every step of the way, from injections, to a scope and ultimately to knee replacement surgery.
“Personalized care meant my story was being heard,” she said.
When it became clear that the arthritis was more advanced than originally hoped, Lesley and Dr. Camilleri made the decision together to move forward with knee replacement surgery. She scheduled one knee replacement, and then a year later, the other.
“Dr. Camilleri asked me if I was ready,” she said. “He didn’t tell me I had to do it. We talked about it.”
After undergoing both knee replacements and completing rehabilitation, Lesley slowly began rebuilding the life she thought she had lost. Her recovery journey included additional challenges, including treatment for spinal issues that were later discovered, but she remained focused on moving forward.
As her mobility improved, so did her outlook. She was able to exercise again, become more active and regain her independence. She lost more than 70 pounds after her knee replacements because she could finally move without constant pain. The depression she had experienced during some of her most difficult years began to lift. Most importantly, she found her way back to the work she loves.
Today, Lesley has returned to serving patients and helping others navigate their own challenges. She has adapted aspects of her work to protect her long-term health, but she once again has the opportunity to do what brings her purpose and fulfillment.
Outside of work, she’s also able to spend more time doing what matters most: enjoying life with her five grandchildren. She has returned to activities she once thought might be gone forever, including tackling the Go Ape adventure course at Eagle Creek Park, a moment that reminded her just how much life had changed since surgery.
Looking back, she says the difference at Central Indiana Orthopedics wasn’t just the treatment itself, but the way she was treated throughout the process.
“CIO doesn’t just replace joints, they give you life back,” she said. “If that’s all they did, I would just be a number.”
From the front desk team to the clinical staff and physicians, she consistently felt seen, valued and respected. As someone who has devoted her career to listening to others, she recognized those same qualities in the people caring for her.
“I spend my life listening to people and trying to understand what’s happening in their lives,” Lesley said. “That’s exactly how they treated me. They treated me the way I would treat others.”
That trust is one of the reasons she continues to return to Central Indiana Orthopedics for her care today as she works with Dr. Brian Badman to address ongoing shoulder concerns.
When people ask her about putting off treatment, her advice is simple. “Stop suffering and get help,” she said. “Be in control of your own wellness and your own health.”
For Lesley, the journey wasn’t just about relieving pain. It was about reclaiming a life that felt out of reach. It was about returning to the work she loves, restoring her independence and finding herself again.
When she thinks about Central Indiana Orthopedics, one word comes to mind: family.
“I think of a family that cares about me,” she said.
That feeling of being cared for, listened to and treated like a person rather than a diagnosis is what made all the difference. And for Lesley, that’s what helped her return to the life she loves.
If joint pain is keeping you from the people, activities or work you love, learn more about our physicians, services and locations or schedule an appointment with our team at ciocenter.com.