{"id":20070,"date":"2018-12-27T09:05:20","date_gmt":"2018-12-27T16:05:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=20070"},"modified":"2025-03-07T09:31:00","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T16:31:00","slug":"small-steps-after-knee-surgery-turn-into-lifelong-strides","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/small-steps-after-knee-surgery-turn-into-lifelong-strides\/","title":{"rendered":"Get inspired: Small steps after knee surgery turn into lifelong strides"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Climbing 13 stairs after knee surgery used to take Linda Chandler over an hour.<\/p>\n

She could barely walk around the block.<\/p>\n

\"Linda
Linda Chandler shows off some medals she received from walks and runs. Signing up for events keeps her motivated to move. She loves the “bling” and has lost 70 pounds since May. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now, Chandler, 53, has a collection of medals from 5K walks and runs and she\u2019s lost 70 pounds since May.<\/p>\n

Need some encouragement for your New Year\u2019s resolution?<\/p>\n

Let Chandler inspire you.<\/p>\n

Stunning results from a tough surgery<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Chandler\u2019s orthopedic challenges started during the summer of 2017 when her left knee began swelling and hurting so badly that she was having trouble walking. She feared at first that she might have a blood clot. Her primary care provider, Dr. Kelly White<\/a>, found that Chandler had a cyst and a rare type of meniscus tear and sent her to knee expert, Dr. Armando Vidal at UCHealth CU Sports Medicine \u2013 Colorado Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Vidal cares for professional athletes as the head team doctor for the Denver Nuggets<\/a> and also tends to college players as well as regular folks like Chandler. He is also the co-director of the University of Colorado\u2019s Cartilage Repair and Restoration Program and has dedicated his career to the management of these complex cases.<\/p>\n

Initially, Vidal tried cortisone shots and physical therapy, but Chandler\u2019s pain kept getting worse and her function continued to decline. She is somewhat bow-legged, which contributed to the pressure and pain she was suffering.<\/p>\n

So, in August of 2017, Vidal suggested a surgery called an osteotomy, where he essentially had to break and realign Chandler\u2019s tibia bone in order to straighten it. For patients in severe pain, who are too young for a total knee replacement, the surgery can be a good option.<\/p>\n

In Chandler\u2019s case, the results have been stunning, Vidal said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s amazing. You want to do a backflip. It makes your day,\u201d Vidal said. \u201cShe\u2019s the prototypical case. In my experience, a lot of these osteotomies are life-changing.<\/p>\n

\"headshot
Dr. Armando Vidal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThese patients have had injuries, sometimes for years. Their activity level has decreased. It affects their wellbeing. They\u2019re not happy. Then we can restore that function, and all of a sudden, they\u2019re at a place where they can exercise. They want to eat well. Their energy level is better. They\u2019re more engaged. It\u2019s awesome to see the whole picture. That\u2019s what drives me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vidal doesn\u2019t take credit for Chandler\u2019s transformation. Instead, he highlights her dedication along with outstanding help from her physical therapist, Gary Harkness<\/a>, who gently encouraged Chandler first to put weight on her leg, then to strengthen it and ultimately to walk and run.<\/p>\n

Harkness, in turn, gives kudos to Chandler.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really remarkable. First, she had this debilitating injury before the surgery. Then, it\u2019s painful afterward and you have to deal with someone hurting you every time you go in for therapy,\u201d Harkness said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, she\u2019s lost over 70 pounds. She\u2019s doing these events. She\u2019s slimming down and eating better. I think it\u2019s really inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Physical therapy for the body. Physical therapy for the soul.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Chandler is incredibly proud of how far she has come.<\/p>\n

She said Harkness has been instrumental in keeping her motivated and helping her see herself as someone who could be fit and active.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had never done a race in my life,\u201d Chandler said.<\/p>\n

Now, she and her husband regularly sign up for runs and walks year-round, especially when participants get rewarded with a memento or medal.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about the bling,\u201d Chandler confided.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s thrilled about the person she has become because the transformation has been so dramatic.<\/p>\n

When Chandler first learned she would need ongoing physical therapy to recover from the surgery, she worried she\u2019d get a young therapist (PT) who might bark orders at her like a drill sergeant. She knew she wouldn\u2019t respond well to orders or someone with little compassion. Instead, Harkness always focused on the positive. He has decades of experience and soon bonded with Chandler over their children and life\u2019s challenges.<\/p>\n

\"Linda
Linda Chandler struggled to walk around the block after knee surgery. Now, thanks to regular physical therapy, she’s competing in walks and runs and has lost 70 pounds since May. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ten years ago, Chandler suffered the greatest sorrow a mother could endure. Her oldest son, Daniel Weaver, was serving in the military when he was in a bad car accident. The injuries from the accident forced him out of active duty and left him severely depressed. A year later, at only 21, he killed himself, leaving a wake of devastation for his younger brothers and sisters, all four of his parents and many other relatives and friends.<\/p>\n

Chandler always will have a hole in her heart over the loss of her son. In the early days after her surgery, when she couldn\u2019t put any weight on her leg and needed help doing everything including getting to the bathroom, the darkness she felt after Daniel\u2019s death sometimes returned.<\/p>\n

During twice-weekly physical therapy visits, Harkness learned to read Chandler\u2019s moods and did all he could to lift her spirits while working on her joints and muscles.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe not only \u2018PT\u2019d\u2019 my body. He \u2018PT\u2019d\u2019 my heart and soul,\u201d Chandler said. \u201cThere were days when I was so depressed and he was so kind and positive. He\u2019d always tells me that I was doing great. Now, he calls me his poster child.\u201d<\/p>\n

Small steps, big accomplishments<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When Harkness met his patient for the first time, she was still in a wheel chair about one month after her surgery.<\/p>\n

Job one was to help Chandler get her knee moving again.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot
Gary Harkness.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cCan she bend it? Can she tighten her thigh muscle? There\u2019s a lot of soft tissue and range of motion work we can do to prepare them for when they do get mobile again,\u201d said Harkness, who practices at the UCHealth Sports Therapy Clinic \u2013 Colorado Cente<\/a>r.<\/p>\n

Each patient is different, but Harkness said he loves to focus on what a person can do, rather than on limitations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I try to have them give a little more,\u201d he said. \u201cWith Linda, we got her partially weight-bearing with a walker, then full weight-bearing with a walker then to crutches then to a cane.\u201d<\/p>\n

Within three months after the surgery, he had her back on her feet.<\/p>\n

Compassion and empathy worked wonders with Chandler.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been doing this for 24 years. I\u2019ve had five knee surgeries of my own. I played college football and when I have people like Linda, I can tell them, \u2018I\u2019ve been there before. I know what this feels like. It isn\u2019t easy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Over time, Chandler shared more about her life.<\/p>\n

\"A
Linda Chandler credits her physical therapist, Gary Harkness, with lifting her spirits and getting her moving after a tough knee surgery. “He ‘PT’d’ my body. He ‘PT’d’ my heart and soul,” said Chandler. .Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cOver the course of seeing people for 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes, you get to talk. The more visits you have the more you get to know what they are going through,\u201d Harkness said. \u201cLinda shared the tragedy about her son and his suicide. That\u2019s pretty challenging. We became friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

He commiserated over her sorrows and cheered her victories, all the while, helping Chandler move and improve.<\/p>\n

The two have worked together throughout 2018, eventually shifting from twice weekly appointments to once a week. Chandler likely will graduate from PT early in 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has been a fantastic patient. She has accepted challenges. She\u2019s got so much determination. It\u2019s remarkable.\u201d<\/p>\n

For others looking to make big changes like Chandler, Harkness emphasized the importance of small steps.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe tend to look at long-term outcomes. But you\u2019ve got to have steps to get you there. Some people are great at self-motivation and can get to that end point,\u201d Harkness said.<\/p>\n

Others need a team to support them. And breaking down a big goal into many smaller ones can increase success.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreate a plan, but also have staged goals,\u201d Harkness said. \u201cGet to know where you are and where you want to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe went from the wheelchair to the walker to the crutches to the cane. Then, we did all this strengthening and she wanted to do the weight management and exercise. She began to slowly lose the weight, then a little more and a little more. The thing that has impressed me is how she has stayed with it.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has worked her butt off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nervous to do her first 5K<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Along with her medical team, Chandler is immensely grateful to her husband and family.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have an incredible support system,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Immediately following the surgery, she had to sleep in a recliner in the family room since she didn\u2019t have the upper body strength to climb the stairs to her bedroom without putting any weight on her leg.<\/p>\n

In the early days, her husband, Keith, slept nearby on a couch so he could help her get to the bathroom in the middle of the night.<\/p>\n

Her ex-husband and his wife are close friends. They regularly took shifts to help Chandler as did all the grown children. And, Chandler\u2019s mother offered support too.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s 90 and still works at the Pepsi Center. That\u2019s one tough woman,\u201d Chandler said.<\/p>\n

Once Chandler got moving again, her primary care doctor gave her a referral to the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center<\/a> so she could work on healthier eating and getting more exercise.<\/p>\n

She loved the positive approach there as well. Nurse practitioner, Kristin Stockman<\/a>, didn\u2019t scold her about her eating habits. Instead, she encouraged small changes: protein shakes instead of Carnation Instant Breakfast in the morning (to cut down significantly on sugar) and one less meal of pasta per week.<\/p>\n

\"Linda
Linda Chandler recently placed third in her age group at the Christmas Carol Classic in Denver’s City Park. Here, she poses with her husband, Keith Chandler, who participates in runs and walks with his wife. Photo courtesy of Linda Chandler.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chandler learned how to read labels and look for protein. She loves fruit and learned she could enjoy fruit as long as she paired it with protein, like Greek yogurt.<\/p>\n

Exercising began with a challenge, at first, to simply walk around the block.<\/p>\n

Then, Keith encouraged his wife to join him at 5K events.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the first one, I was so nervous. What if I can\u2019t run?\u201d Chandler said.<\/p>\n

But, she was hooked after the first one.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized anybody can do them. There\u2019s no pressure to run. Now, I\u2019ve gotten to where, at least every mile, I run a bit. And I\u2019m running longer and longer. I guess that\u2019s what I like. Anybody can do it. Police officers and volunteers are high-fiving you,\u201d Chandler said.<\/p>\n

At the end of her first race, tears streamed down her face as she came to the finish line.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really emotional for me. I cried a lot. I didn\u2019t think I could do it. I was 52 when I did the first race of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recently, to ring in the season, Chandler participated in the Christmas Carol Classic 5K in Denver\u2019s City Park. And she was stunned and thrilled to place 3rd<\/sup> in her age group.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always placed in the 70s,\u201d Chandler said.<\/p>\n

Let other people help you<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The possibilities for 2019 seem endless. Chandler would like to lose about 60 more pounds and plenty more running events await her.<\/p>\n

After years of putting everyone else\u2019s needs first, she has learned she has to make her health a priority.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be the best you can be in order to take care of the people around you,\u201d Chandler said. \u201cI have a lot more energy now. We like to travel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every day, she tries to log at least 5,000 steps. When she goes on walks, she makes them long: about 4.5 to 5 miles. She\u2019s come a long way from the first post-surgery walk when she struggled to\u00a0go around the block.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Linda Chandler tries to log at least 5,000 steps a day and enjoys long walks as often as possible. She also competes in walks and runs with her husband to keep her motivated to stay healthy. Here, she enjoys a walk near her home in Aurora. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When she feels like a couch potato, she reaches out to her support system for help. She\u2019ll text her daughter or son or another family member and tell them she needs some motivation to get out and move.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy best advice is to be as stubborn about getting it done as you were stubborn about make excuses,\u201d Chandler said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

As for eating, she\u2019s kind to herself when she splurges on an unhealthy treat. For the most part, she\u2019s able to stay on track with positive goals like eating more vegetables.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really try to stop the negative talk, like saying, \u2018I\u2019m going to screw this up.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

At Thanksgiving, Chandler enjoyed a lot of vegetables, like Brussels sprouts. She helped herself to other favorites, but didn\u2019t go crazy. She weighs herself every day and was thrilled to find she had actually lost two pounds after the holiday.<\/p>\n

Chandler is convinced that she never could have accomplished so much without her team.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey took such good care of me,\u201d she said. \u201cHonestly, I think Gary saved my life several times. There are days when you\u2019re in so much pain and you\u2019re tired of being a burden. I would cry and he would understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chandler learned the hard way that she had to let go of some of her burdens.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet other people help you,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s really hard, but so important.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Climbing 13 stairs after knee surgery used to take Linda Chandler over an hour. She could barely walk around the block. Now, Chandler, 53, has a collection of medals from 5K walks and runs and she\u2019s lost 70 pounds since May. Need some encouragement for your New Year\u2019s resolution? Let Chandler inspire you. Stunning results […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2123,"featured_media":20069,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[1323,183,110,351,130,9167,395,1497,551,212],"class_list":["post-20070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-innovative-care","tag-denver-nuggets","tag-orthopedics","tag-physical-therapy","tag-primary-care","tag-rehabilitation","tag-specialized-services","tag-sports-medicine","tag-uchealth-university-of-colorado-hospital","tag-weight-and-metabolism","tag-womens-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSmall steps after knee surgery turn into lifelong strides - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Linda Chander could barely walk after knee surgery. 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