Larry's Story

"My doctor said, 'You'll be pain free.'"  - Larry. M., Orthopedic Patient

Shouldering 32 acres

Tending to 32 acres about eight miles south of Osawatomie, with 23 of them in redbud, walnut, and hickory trees, requires a lot of cleanup, firewood cutting, and frequent use of a chainsaw and axe. Larry always welcomed the activity until movement made his left shoulder so painful that even picking up a cup of coffee was impossible.

“I’d simply worn out my shoulders.”

A lifetime of vigorous outdoor activity as well as 18 years of baseball pitching as a volunteer coach had taken their toll. “I guess I’d simply worn out my shoulders,” Larry admits. Nearly a decade earlier he’d had rotator cuff repair on his right shoulder. Now his left shoulder was slowing him down.

His family physician, Dr. Jonathan Newkirk of Associates in Family Care – Osawatomie, scheduled an MRI, which revealed a complete rotator cuff tear as well as a torn tendon. He was referred to an orthopedist at Kansas Orthopedic Specialists. Dr. Kenneth Petersen offered options: clean up the rotator cuff injury, possibly perform a tendon graft, or do a complete shoulder replacement, which would probably be an inevitability within five years, even with the other options. “Dr. Newkirk, who is a family friend as well as my doctor, knows how active my life is. He advised me to go ahead with the replacement,” Larry says.

An orthopedic advance

Dr. Petersen told Larry about a reverse shoulder replacement procedure. This procedure essentially re-orients the normal shoulder ball and socket arrangement to take advantage of the strength in the shoulder muscles to relieve pain and help regain normal function of the joint. Larry says, “For me, this sounded like the only way to go.” The surgery was performed at Miami County Medical Center in June. Larry was in the hospital for three days with physical therapy beginning on his shoulder the very next day after surgery. “Everyone took terrific care of me, from the nursing staff to the anesthesiologist. Dr. Petersen, his nurse Angie, his PA Justin, and Dr. Newkirk all checked in on me.”  

 
Back to his active life

Larry’s personal goal for surgery was to return to the quality of an active life he’d always led. Following a regimen of rehab, Larry has regained full range of motion in his shoulders. He adds, “Dr. Petersen told me, ‘You will be pain free’.” Now, with his chainsaw in hand, he’s set to tackle the fall tree cleanup.

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