Peggy's Knees

A lot of people around here know Peggy Bratt.  She is something of an institution at Alcoa High School. 

Once, there was a rumor (untrue) that she might be moved from the sidelines at AHS.  I received death threats on that one.  The Alcoa community loves Peggy and Peggy loves them.  And especially her kids.

Those that have been around a while will also recall how painful it used to be to see Peggy run onto the football field.

You see, Peggy has had bad knees for all of her adult life, dating back to her high school days. 

She arrived at Maryville College in 1986 with the intention of playing basketball and softball.  Alas, her 3rd ACL surgery ended her basketball career.  She was able to continue with softball but let's just say that running the bases was not a particular strength for her. 

One good sidebar on the story is that all these knee problems gave her the career that she now has a passion for.  In my mind, Peggy was always meant to be an Athletic Trainer. 

So in 2008, at age 40, Peggy consented to her a Total Knee Replacement on her left  knee.  This surgery, performed by the now retired Dr. Ken Bell of Maryville Orthopedic Clinic, was a huge success.  Although there were still some problems to deal with on her other knee, Peggy's mobility was vastly improved. 

The active lifestyle that was given back to Peggy by this surgery allowed her to exercise more vigorously and more regularly, resulting in a weight loss of 60 pounds.  She continued to play basketball, although maybe a bit more cautiously now.

Move ahead 5  years and it was time for a Total Knee Replacement on her other knee.  This time, her Alcoa High School team physician, Dr. Mike Campbell, performed the surgery.

And again, the results were outstanding.  Peggy's limp is barely noticeable and she has continued to play half-court basketball.  The active lifestyle that she had rediscovered continues to this day and isn't likely to abate for many years to come. 

I talked to Dr. Campbell of Maryville Orthopedic Clinic, who did this second surgery, who said "studies have shown that your overall health will improve if you have this (Total Knee Replacement) done.  And it's not just your physical health but your mental health as well.  With rare exceptions, you will be able to return to a more active lifestyle and at the least, will have significantly reduced pain."

I asked Peggy if she would do it again (knowing pretty much what the answer would be).  She said "in a heartbeat!"  The lifestyle that it has given her has proven well worth the surgery and the rehab.

Dr. Campbell and I compared notes a bit on what we hear from patients when they are through with the process, and we found that we both hear often that "I wish I had done this a long time ago."

Maybe playing basketball isn't on the approved list of activities (cutting activities and stop-and-go sports put a lot of stress on the replaced joint) but the bottom line is that there is still a long list of activities that you might have assumed that you would never do again that are back on your list.