After Knee Replacement, Her Day Is Her Own

Patricia “Pat” Millen and her husband were always on the go. They ran, they biked, they hiked, but for four years what they did and where they went was dictated by how bad Pat’s knee hurt that day. It got so bad that the 30-year runner could no longer go to the grocery store. 

What made her decide enough was enough? Getting stuck in the woods. It seemed like a “good knee day,” so Pat and her husband went for a hike. But once in, the pain and grapefruit sized swelling, kept her from getting back out. Her husband had to jog back to the car and drive it to a nearby entrance. 

It was then and there, through tears, that Pat decided she was getting her knee replaced. She decided, “I’m not going to live like this anymore.”

Pat, by profession, is a historian and researcher, so she took the next step - finding the best hospital and doctor - very seriously. “I asked every physical therapist I know, I researched infection rates, turnouts and got a couple recommendations for Dr. Scott Schoifet, Medical Director of the Virtua Joint Replacement Institute. I read about him and then I felt comfortable.” 

Pat was not disappointed by her choice. “The nurses are just amazing. They really genuinely care... when I was being wheeled in [to surgery], I started to cry because I was totally frightened. [The nurse] took my hand and calmed me down and said it would be fine.” 

Fine was something that Pat wasn’t convinced she’d be for a very long time. Dr. Schoifet promised her that after her surgery she would soon be pain-free. She would be able to go hiking with her brother. She would be able to attend her niece’s wedding. Sure enough, one morning she woke up with no knee pain, and from then on every day would be a “good knee day.”

Not only did she go hiking, but now she can chase after her grandkids. “The biggest joy is that I get to run around after my grand babies.” And she made it to her nieces wedding - in heels. In Pat’s own words, “I never imagined that it would work out so well.”

Updated October 7, 2016