When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Kay could no longer work face-to-face with her pediatric physical therapy patients. That's when she knew it was time to retire.
But looking back to 2019, Kay wasn't going to let knee pain stop her from doing what she loves.
A former physical therapist of 0- to 3-year-olds and devoted Scottish country dancer, 70-year-old Kay is as active as they come.
“I loved my career in pediatric physical therapy and miss it already," Kay says. “It does require you to be very active and mobile, but I've kept up with that through dance."
The Challenge: Hand, Hip, and Knee Pain
From hip pain to stiffness in her hands, Kay has seen several doctors at UPMC Orthopaedic Care over the years. But nothing has quite compared to the trio who worked with her to overcome her hand, hip, and knee pain.
“All three women were amazing. They were all about 'let's help you be able to work, dance, and live.' They said, 'let's make it happen' instead of telling me to slow down," Kay says.
Specifically, Jeanne Doperak, DO, was on her side as Kay healed from a knee injury without greatly altering her lifestyle.
Finding the Right Care at UPMC Sports Medicine
At a picnic in 2019, Kay stepped onto rocky turf and twisted her right knee. It didn't feel great, she says, but it wasn't all that alarming.
Kay braced it herself and tried to wait it out to see if it would heal. And she still attended Scottish country dance camp about a month later.
After camp, it was clear that the pain in her knee wasn't going away by itself.
That's what brought her to the UPMC Freddie Fu Sports Medicine Center in Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood to see Dr. Doperak.
At her appointment, Kay and Dr. Doperak discussed her symptoms and decided on an MRI. The results showed severe osteoarthritis in her knee, which “flared up" when she twisted it.
A Treatment Plan Fit for Her
After reviewing the MRI results, Dr. Doperak designed a treatment plan to help Kay heal, while staying active.
“If you want a doctor who's conversational and really listens to you, I'd say Dr. Doperak every time. She truly wants to get you back to what you love," Kay says. “She worked as a partner through my recovery, as I feel doctors should, because the patient is part of the team."
Kay had a series of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) shots coupled with a prescription for an arthritis drug.
During PRP, a member of your care team:
- Draws your blood and puts it in a device that separates platelets and plasma from other blood components.
- Takes the platelets off the top of the sample.
- Injects them in the problem area, so your own blood helps heal your injury.
“It hurts for a moment, but it's very quick and worth the results," Kay says.
Kay describes her knee joint as feeling “full." She says it was bit sore for a few days after each shot (she had 3 in 2-week increments).
But she just had to ice her knee and could keep doing the things that felt good to her.
“It's a few weeks before you really feel the results, but you clearly notice when it's working," Kay says. “Within a month, I'd say I felt 90% better and was dancing without thinking of the pain."
After a follow-up visit or two, Kay was well on her way to doing the things she loved again — pain-free, including:
- Working with her young patients.
- Playing on the floor with her grandson.
- Travelling, and of course dancing.
Moving Beyond Pain
In talking about Kay's patient journey, Dr. Doperak shares, “Kay is so dynamic. We're so happy that she was happy with the outcome."
While COVID-19 has prevented Kay from dancing with her team for much of 2020, her knee wasn't the thing to stop her.
Thanks to her teamwork with UPMC's orthopaedic experts, this retired physical therapist isn't slowing down any time soon. She's ready to dance again and move beyond pain.
Kay's treatment and results may not be representative of all similar cases.
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