- December 06, 2018 When I met Dr. Cole, I was desperately looking for a solution for the pain in my knee. I was a former four-sport athlete in high school and played college basketball at BYU. My junior year, my team played Tennessee in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. At the time, I had no idea it would be the last basketball game I ever played. After my fourth knee surgery and weeks of physical therapy, doctors told me I had severe arthritis and would not be able to play my senior season. I was 20 years old.
I spent my twenties trying to repair the damage I’d done. Everything I did was low impact; biking, walking, swimming, etc. But as much as I tried to protect my knee it still hurt. A year after my seventh knee surgery, I was in so much pain it was difficult to perform daily tasks like stairs or carrying my baby. I was so frustrated that I decided I wanted a knee replacement. My surgeon told me that at 31 years old he couldn’t recommend a replacement. He had read about meniscal transplants and osteochondral allografts and he thought that might be a solution for me. He referred me to Dr. Cole.
Going to Dr. Cole was the best decision I could have made. The process was difficult. The travel, surgeries, recovery and rehab were extremely challenging. But the results have been more than I ever expected. I am one year post-op and my knee feels better than it’s felt since I was 19 years old. I am able to work out at a high level including jumping, squatting, and lateral movement- all which were impossible before surgery. But the most significant change has been the improvement that has come to my daily life. I’ll be doing things like pushing a shopping cart, walking up stairs, getting in or out of cars and realize, “THIS DOESN’T HURT!”
I’m so excited that I can do things like pushing myself in workouts, water skiing, hiking, dancing, chasing my girls and giving them piggy back rides. It’s these small things that make my life full and bring me so much joy. The constant pain is gone and I know that every hard thing I did to get to this point has been worth it. I’m so grateful to Dr. Cole and his team for the new life I’ve been given.