Marie and her husband, Carl, live in a 55+ community in Fishers, Indiana, and enjoy many of the amenities the neighborhood has to offer, such as playing cards, doing chair yoga, making greeting cards and spending time with their wonderful neighbors. In summer 2021 when running an errand at Home Depot, Marie stepped down with her right foot and felt a sharp pain in her knee – she couldn’t take another step without feeling a great deal of pain. The next morning, her knee was so swollen she could hardly bend it. “Being a previous patient of Central Indiana Orthopedics, my husband and I made the seven-minute drive from our neighborhood to the CIO Fishers office and accessed the Walk-In Clinic,” Marie said. “I knew I would get good care.”
Dr. Kile Carter took an x-ray of Marie’s knee, and the first thing he addressed was that Marie would eventually need a knee replacement due to arthritis. “I wasn’t expecting to hear that,” Marie shared. “I knew my knees could be achy and cranky, but a replacement had not been on my radar.” Marie also had a very important date on her calendar for the following spring – her granddaughter was graduating from the Air Force Academy, and nothing was going to stop her from being there. After sharing her goals and concerns with Dr. Carter, they both decided that the next step in Marie’s treatment journey would be to drain her knee and then receive injections to control the discomfort until she was ready to have her knee replaced.
Once the graduation was behind her, Marie felt it was time to seriously consider having a knee replacement. “I wanted a good result and knew that I would need excellent, professional care to get it,” Marie said. “Dr. Kay came highly recommended by my neighbor, as she had a knee replacement using Mako technology. I knew Dr. Kay had a reputation for being an expert in Mako surgery, and he’s very likeable.” When meeting with Dr. Kay, Marie said he reviewed her x-rays and told her the decision to have a knee replacement was hers to make. This no-pressure approach made Marie feel confident that she was in good hands.
Dr. Kay performed Marie’s knee replacement on February 28, 2023, at the CIO Fishers outpatient surgery center. Marie said she went to sleep and woke up with a new knee! “That was the easy part,” Marie said. “And while there was pain and swelling, I used a lot of ice and elevated my leg frequently. I was blessed to have family and friends who helped me through it. Dr. Kay made sure I had all the medication I needed, and his team answered my many, many questions.”
Just three days after surgery, Marie started physical therapy with physical therapists Dylan and Phil coaching her through the process. “It wasn’t easy, but they were always there for me,” Marie said. Little by little, Marie noticed improvement, and after six weeks, it was time for her to graduate. “I was discharged and given exercises to do at home on my own,” Marie said. “It was a happy, but sad, moment for me – happy to have made so much progress, but sad that they would no longer be part of my support system. Dylan and Phil are excellent physical therapists, and I’m fortunate to have worked with them.”
Knowing the total healing process can take up to a year, Marie says that every day is another step forward, and she’s back to doing all the things that she enjoyed and more. She no longer needs to rely on the grocery cart to walk at the store, and her dog enjoys the longer walks that she’s able to take.
“I believe that the people who work at Central Indiana Orthopedics truly enjoy their work,” Marie said. “Their focus is on the individual patient and helping restore them to good health. I couldn’t have asked for better care and am thrilled with the result. A special thank you to Dr. Kay, Haley, Julie, Dylan and Phil – you’re the best, and thank you for making my surgery a success!”