Patient Testimonials – Dr Martin J. Benoit MD

Knee Stories

Charisse Green, 42

Stryker Knee Replacement

“I would say my quality of life is now 200%, versus 25% before the surgery.”

“I’m a mother of five. Grandmother of two. I have an active life, which has gotten even better since I had my knee replacement. Before the surgery, my activity was very limited. I was in severe pain for a good two years before I came to the conclusion a total knee replacement was the only way to go. My bicycle riding came to an end, my bowling, even cleaning around the house and playing with the children or dancing with my grandchildren. But now, oh wow! The pain factor is gone. I’m looking younger, I’m feeling younger, and I’ve lost a total of 71 pounds because I’m much more mobile. I can scrub floors, I can climb a stepladder, I can bend and stoop, I can get in and out of the car. What can’t I do? This is a quality of life procedure. It’s gonna get you out of bed, keep you off the crutches, and out of the wheelchair.”

Results not typical and may vary by individual. Not all patients will reach the same activity level.

Back in the Swing of Things

Charisse Green is a woman with a zest for life. An active matriarch, she loves her children unconditionally, all five of them. The operative word here, however, is active because, as Cherisse says, “You can’t be down and off your feet when you have an eight-year-old.”

Before her surgery Charisse felt both the pain and the psychological limitations that come with it. Even the most mundane activities were becoming impossible. But it wasn’t just her body. The scope of her whole world was shrinking. “I felt so limited that my mind wanted to do something and in my heart I wanted to do something, but physically it just could not happen. Between the swelling and the limited mobility in the bending of my knee, getting up off a seat was even a chore.”

She tried alternatives to surgery like drugs but they had dubious benefits with side effects that were making her as uncomfortable as the pain. So she sees her surgery as an alternative with many positive factors. “I’m medication free. And that’s a good thing ’cause you worry about your liver, you worry about your kidneys, you worry about this, your bladder, whatever.”

After years of enduring the pain she decided that a total knee replacement was the way to go. First she had to find a doctor she could trust, but fortunately she didn’t have to look far. Her sister had had her hips replaced and the surgeon she used made a strong recommendation. Almost immediately after the operation Charisse reported that her pain was gone. She quickly started on a program of rehabilitation, but she mainly credits the skill of her surgeon and the design of the Stryker knee with her positive response to surgery. “I would say it took me two weeks before I was back to full movement. I was walking up and down the stairs. It’s been a very quick recovery. And between my cooperation, the skill of the surgeon, and the piece itself, it’s a very good combination. It’s a trifold thing, and without one with the other, you’re not going be where I am today."

So just where exactly is Charisse today? Happily reengaged with her active life. “I can pick things up, bring my laundry up and down, I can stand, I can wash dishes and scrub the floors. I can take down my blinds, I can climb up on a stepladder. I had the surgery March 30th — May 22nd I’m on the dance floor boogying to disco music.”

She even goes so far as to advise those who might be considering a similar procedure. “This is going to get you out of the wheelchair. It’s going to get you out of the bed. It’s going to get you out of the wheelchair and keep you off the crutches, the walker. Go ahead and do it!”

Since the surgery, Charisse has lost weight, become active again, and has her life back with a whole new positive attitude. She has this to say by way of thanks to the people at Stryker for the difference they’ve made in her life. “I could do everything I wanted to do, so you guys, you’re good guys, keep up the good work. Thank you.”