This 75-year-old knee patient is dancing again.

Dear Dr. Leone,

It was a pleasure to see you again several weeks ago at an appointment I made because I was concerned about the various aches and pains in my legs; I had convinced myself that my “partial knees” were coming undone! I had even reconciled myself, in the dead of night when everything seems especially bleak, to having total replacements on both knees, if that was what Dr. Leone decided.

After carefully checking my X-rays and examining my knees, you confirmed that they were in perfect condition! What you didn’t say, as the kind physician and exemplary human being you are, is that a woman of my age, 75 years old, would have some normal aches and pains, especially with her fairly vigorous daily exercise routine.

The truth is that two and a half years ago, you transformed my life by fixing my knees. As a 73 year old woman, I had heard stories from friends about their painful knee surgeries that never worked out quite right. I consulted several surgeons, who offered me braces that hurt to wear, injections that didn’t last long, but who didn’t give me the confidence to choose surgery. So I learned to lessen the pain in my knees by organizing my daily life to avoid walking as much as possible and I became a virtual “cripple”.

Then one day a woman in my condo heard me complaining about my knees and said she had the doctor for me – Dr. William Leone.  Her unbridled enthusiasm and total confidence in you plus the story of her hip surgery was very inspiring and I made an appointment to see you and the rest is history: after two surgeries, three months apart, you turned a crippled old lady into a vital “young at heart” woman who dances and walks miles with a big smile on her face!  You inspired my confidence and willingness to undergo surgery because first, you treated me like a human being. Then you listened carefully to what I had to say and asked about my feelings and my hopes for the future. After x-rays and another consultation, I had absolutely no fears about having surgery on both knees.

At an appointment a week before my scheduled first surgery, you surprised me by saying that you had been thinking about my case and had decided that I needed only partial knee replacements. Frankly,  it was amazing to hear a surgeon wanting to do less rather than more! What a concept!

My two surgeries went very smoothly thanks to you and your team.  I was properly prepared,  had very little discomfort and was back at work a week later.  So, here I am, enjoying my life in my 76th year with great gusto: I walk, bike and swim every day and dance as often as possible.≠≠

Thank you again Dr. Leone for giving me back my best life!

 

All my best regards,

 

Sharon Andonov