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| Media Contacts Mary Jo Wich Lois Kendall 314-525-4005 |
Release Date: 10/9/2009
Arnold Police Detective Arrests Knee Pain with Ortho Surgery
Melissa Crane just had her second knee replacement at St. Anthony’s Medical Center and was one of the first patients cared for in the hospital’s new Ortho-Spine Center.
Melissa Crane, 55, recognized the signs – she’d been there before. It was painful to walk, painful to bend, painful to even move her left leg. She needed a new knee.
Crane, a south county resident and a detective on the Arnold Police Department for the past 33 years, said she wouldn’t be surprised if her active – and sometimes reckless – history might have played a role in the deterioration of her knees.
“I was a ‘tomboy’ growing up; I played a lot of sports and did a lot of crazy things – like jumping off the roof of a house,” she admitted with a grin. “I don’t know if that had anything to do with my knee problems or if it was just years of wear and tear. But the cushioning between the bones of the knee was gone, and bone rubbing on bone is extremely painful.”
Crane knew the symptoms – she had surgery to replace her right knee this past January. When her orthopedic surgeon, Robert Markenson, M.D., confirmed Crane’s suspicions, she checked into St. Anthony’s Medical Center for the second time this year.
“I was pretty leery about having to be hospitalized the first time,” Crane said. “But after I went to the Total Joint Replacement class prior to surgery, I felt more comfortable. I knew what to expect and what was expected of me.”
Her only surprise was a good one – St. Anthony’s new Ortho-Spine Center, with its spacious, all-private rooms and therapy services conveniently located on one floor. The new Center opened Aug. 24.
“When I had surgery in January, I had a succession of roommates during my stay,” Crane said. “Now, I don’t have a problem getting along with people, but I like having the TV on all night – it’s just comforting to me. This time I had this big private room, with all the comfort and none of the guilt!”
The extra space easily accommodated her personal equipment, including her CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) machine, bedside commode, wheelchair and walker. “It was just so much nicer and everyone who came to visit was so impressed with the room,” Crane said. “And the staff was awesome – super nice and super cheery all the time.”
The two days following her knee replacement surgery, Crane worked with therapists, who helped her with walking and bending and lifting exercises. On her last day, she practiced performing normal, daily tasks, like getting in and out of a regular bed, in the Center’s transitional apartment.
On Sept. 11, Crane was released to her home, where she takes therapy two to three times a day, including using the CPM machine to keep her legs moving. She uses a walker to help her get around, and she’s hoping to go back to work, on light duty, by the end of October and on full duty by the end of the year.
“Nobody wants to think about having surgery, being hospitalized, undergoing therapy,” Crane said. “But I felt very comfortable and cared-for at St. Anthony’s Ortho-Spine Center. Knowing that I am going to be able to move around and do things without constant pain – it is so worth it!
For information, please call our Health Access Line at 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or 800-554-9550 or visit our find a physician online.
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