Advancing DALE's Health - Back to favorite hobby through joint replacement

Getting back into life 
Joint replacement allows for a return to a favorite hobby 

Working full-time, and spending time with his family keeps Dale Lisby very active.  When he fell off a roof in 1991, however, he not only broke his leg, but discovered arthritis as well. 

In the Emergency Department, doctors began asking Lisby’s wife, Jeanne, if he had any trouble getting around.  She replied, “No, why do you ask?”

“The doctors said my joints were full of arthritis, and that this fall would probably aggravate the condition,” Lisby says.  “They were right.”

Over the next several years, the pain in Lisby’s leg, especially his right knee continued to increase, forcing him to slow down and give up a favorite hobby - carpentry.

“Getting up and down, getting up much slower and taking a few steps before you begin to get things straightened out and it just progressively went from there,” he remembers of the progression of the arthritis.  “The pain felt like it was deep.  It felt like the pain was in the bone as opposed to a sore muscle or a surface irritation.  And, it was nagging.  Sometimes it was worse than others, but it was always there.”

Lisby worked with Gregory Fox, M.D., of Bloomington Bone & Joint Clinic, to manage the pain through non-surgical treatments.  But, when the arthritis, and the pain, continued to worsen, Lisby was referred to orthopedic surgeon Jonathan Surdam, M.D. at Orthopedics of Southern Indiana to learn about total joint replacement surgery.

“When I first met Dale, he was in significant discomfort,” says Dr. Surdam.  “His right knee pain had gotten so severe that he was even having trouble driving.  He was having trouble with routine activities of daily living.”

After learning about how a joint replacement could enhance his quality of life, Lisby decided to move ahead with surgery to replace his right knee, and attended the Joint Education day at Bloomington Hospital’s Regional Orthopedics Center.  This day-long educational program allows those preparing for a joint replacement talk with others in a similar situation, learn about the process and what will happen during the surgery and hospital stay, and answer any questions they may have.

On December 13, 2006, Lisby entered Bloomington Hospital for total joint replacement surgery.

“When we go into a joint, we resurface the bone and take away the damaged cartilage and replace it typically with metal implants that serve to become a smooth weight bearing surface again for the patient,” explains Dr. Surdam.

Following surgery, Lisby spent three days in the hospital recovering and beginning the rehabilitation process.

“I had a real good experience with the hospital and the nurses and the staff.  I couldn’t have had a better experience,” says Lisby

Dale continued rehab on an outpatient basis with Dr. Surdam and exercised at home.  Today, Dale’s right knee is nearly pain free, which has allowed him to return to the carpentry work he was forced to abandon.

“It’s not impeded me any,” he says.  “I’m back doing what I used to do and enjoying it.”