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Meet Diane
A local artist who refused to let pain hold her back.
MEET DIANE
What do you do when a dream you’ve spent decades working toward suddenly seems out of reach? Diane, a local artist, dreamed of creating pottery in retirement, but worsening hip pain interrupted her plans.
Diane sought care from orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Kevin Trapp at Crystal Run Healthcare
to restore her hip and her dreams.
DIANE HAD A LONG CAREER IN HEALTHCARE BUT ART WAS ALWAYS HER PASSION.
While Diane had formally trained in art education and ceramics, she worked as an EMT responder for 27 years to support herself and her family. Throughout her career she slowly made plans for the day she could retire to her potter’s wheel full-time and start the next chapter of her life dedicated to her true passion – art.
Diane led a very active life. Prior to retirement, she spent her weekends at her pottery studio creating inventory and preparing for her upcoming art shows. In addition to making pottery, she spent her free time hiking, swimming, and playing with her grandkids.
AS RETIREMENT APPROACHED, CHRONIC HIP PAIN INTERRUPTED DIANE’S PLANS.
What started as a twinge in her hip worsened over time until Diane could no longer do the things she loved. Long hikes became shorter. She spent less time swimming laps at her community pool. Only one month after retirement, Diane faced a terrible truth: she could no longer sit at her potter’s wheel. That’s when she knew it was time to talk to Dr. Kevin Trapp, her orthopedic surgeon at Crystal Run Healthcare, about total hip replacement surgery.
“I couldn’t sit at the wheel. It was like a knife just stabbing me and I was horrified. I was like, ‘How could this happen now? How ironic that all these years I finally retire, sit at the wheel and I can’t do it.’”
– Diane
DIANE AND DR. TRAPP WORKED TOGETHER TO MANAGE HER PAIN AND RESTORE HER DREAMS.
Diane had worked with Dr. Trapp for several years before her chronic hip pain prevented her from sitting at her potter’s wheel. When she first started working with Dr. Trapp and his team, Diane didn’t want to consider surgery. Instead, they found ways to manage her pain. Ice beds, yoga and exercise weren’t enough to keep the pain away. Then, Dr. Trapp told her there was another option.
He and his colleagues had started offering their Total Joint Program for Hip & Knee surgery at the Crystal Run Ambulatory Surgery Center in Middletown, NY. Diane wouldn’t need to go to the hospital. She would be in and out the same day, and able to recover at home in a familiar setting. That’s when she knew she was ready for surgery.
“I was mentally ready at that point to totally commit that this was not going be my life of pain but it was going to turn around for me,” said Diane.
“In my opinion, I think it is every bit as important to be mentally ready to go through the operation as it is to be medically ready to go through it. Here at the Total Joint Program at Crystal Run Healthcare, we've spent a lot of time and effort planning for a great patient experience that leads to a great outcome.”
– Dr. Kevin Trapp
DIANE WAS GRATEFUL FOR THE CARE SHE RECEIVED AT THE CRYSTAL RUN AMBULATORY SURGERY CENTER.
The concerns that Diane had about surgery went away as Dr. Trapp and his team helped prepare her for the total hip replacement procedure. “I give kudos to the staff because they really know what they’re doing and made me personally feel very comfortable,” said Diane.
The procedure was quick, as was her recovery. Six weeks after surgery, she was sitting at her potter’s wheel, pain-free.
At a post-op appointment, Diane gifted Dr. Trapp a pair of handmade mugs. It was her way of thanking him for all that he had done to help restore her dream of being a full-time potter.
DIANE IS BACK TO DOING WHAT SHE LOVES.
“Without pain, everything is just so much easier,” said Diane. She is able to enjoy hiking, swimming, and playing with her grandkids once again.
The biggest payoff for Diane is the pure joy she feels as she sits comfortably at her potter’s wheel to make art.
Now Diane is sharing her love for pottery. Meaghan, one of Diane’s post-op nurses, started taking pottery lessons with Diane after she recovered. They’ve been great friends ever since. It was another unexpected and wonderful result of having her surgery at the Crystal Run Ambulatory Surgery Center.
WATCH DIANE’S STORY
The experienced team of physicians, nurses, and support staff at the Crystal Run Ambulatory Surgery Center work together with one focus: to provide patients with care and compassion in a comfortable and safe environment. The state-of-the-art facility is connected to Crystal Run Healthcare and provides direct access to a number of specialties including the Total Joint Program for Hip & Knee surgery. Find out how their services are changing lives today.