I was at a church campout with my daughter. We went for a walk before breakfast and I slipped in the mud and rolled down the only hill in Texas. I heard something snap that sounded like a gunshot. I looked back to see what I’d hit because I thought I banged my knee on a tree, but there was nothing in my path. I couldn’t move. I just had to lie there and asked my daughter to go for help. The pain was almost unbearable. It was cold. It was wet. It was muddy. I was lying in leaves.
I thought my leg was broken. They called 911. An ambulance arrived and the EMTs had to rescue me. Fortunately, I knew both of them, which made me feel more comfortable. The EMT felt around my knee and said, “Your leg’s not broken. You have something going on in your knee.”
They took X-rays at the ER and sent them to Dr. Hall at DOC. I had a torn quadriceps tendon. A quadriceps tendon tear is a disabling injury, requiring surgery and physical therapy. I guess there are four quadriceps muscles that merge into one tendon that attaches to the kneecap. Dr. Hall had to surgically reattach the torn tendon. We discussed PRP injections and he told me the injection would help me heal faster, especially at my age. Since my other knee is weak, too, he suggested we inject both knees.
I didn’t know anything about PRP when I went to my appointment with Dr. Hall. I was able to do some research before I had anything done. The stem cells come from my own bone marrow. Stem cell treatment is fairly new, but shows positive results. I decided that it was something that could help me. I trust Dr. Hall. Dr. Hall removed the stem cells from my hip and injected them into my knees while I was in surgery under anesthesia.
I was in physical therapy after the surgery. Now I’m back in the gym three days a week, exercising on the elliptical machine, weight training and in yoga classes. I walk five miles four or five days a week.
As for the stem cell injections, I would do it again. It made a tremendous difference in the healing process. You have a higher quality surgery and a faster recovery time. There’s no downside, as far as I’m concerned.
For more information about regenerative medicine, go to
http://www.directorthocare.gcgforge.com/regenerative-medicine/.