Skip More - 12 Years of Knee Pain Gone

Skip More of Valencia had lived with nagging knee pain—the result of a motorcycle accident-- for the past 12 years. It was not a serious problem until he reached his 50s. An avid hiker for the past 20 years, and with his knee swelling, Skip decided it was time for professional medical advice. A physician told him that his cartilage was wearing out and recommended postponing surgery. Fast forward to 2015 when Skip saw Dr. Charles Young, an orthopedic surgeon with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.

“My knee was swelling and it was bothering me,” Skip said. “Dr. Young said I was definitely a candidate for knee replacement.”

Skip, 65, would have the surgery after he and his wife Rosemarie returned from a planned family cruise. That plan was put on hold, however, when a day before the cruise, Skip was taken to Henry Mayo’s Emergency Department complaining of horrible back pain. Diagnosed with kidney stones and dangerously low sodium levels, he was admitted to the Definitive Observation Unit at the hospital. “That’s when I really began to appreciate and respect Henry Mayo,” he said. “Two of the nurses there, Ruby and David really helped me. David talked to me extensively about kidney stones. Basically, I completely changed my diet. Nobody had ever spent time with me like that providing that kind of education.”

Skip soon passed the stone and was able to catch a later cruise. Soon after his return on January 18, 2016, Dr. Young performed the knee replacement surgery. “Dr. Young is one of the best doctors I’ve ever gone to,” he said. “He did a fantastic job. The nursing staff, the anesthesiologist, the physical therapists—everyone at Henry Mayo was great.” “I did not really have any pain until I started physical therapy and that’s when they got me walking. My knee is fantastic and I have full extension and range of motion. I did what they told me and I’m ahead of the game.”