lcmh.com 11 Mark Woodruff As a military veteran, Mark Woodruff is a man made of tough stuff. He’s not a person who sits in one place for very long. Yet with his warm and welcoming smile, Mark isn’t the type who ever meets a stranger. His positive attitude is contagious to those around him. From their home in Alexandria, Mark and his wife enjoyed an active lifestyle, raising children and serving in their local church. Mark continued his dedication to the community through coaching sports teams and teaching young men carpentry and electrical skills. However, all of that came to an unexpected end in 2018 when Mark’s knee collapsed. After one failed surgery, Mark was resigned to living his life in debilitating pain. Since he was unable to perform the simplest of tasks without pain, his life, once active and busy, was suddenly isolating and monotonous. Amy Gardner In 2021, Amy, an avid hiker, active grandmother and wife to a small-business owner, knew she would have to do something about the pain in her knees. That’s when she went to see Nathan Cohen, MD. She was referred to him for a previous procedure by friends who described him as a “well-oiled machine.” He recommended both knees be replaced if she wanted to continue the active lifestyle she loved. The pain she experienced made it difficult to stand for even more than five minutes at a time and was affecting her professional and personal life. Amy also loved to paint, and started to notice that she didn’t have the energy to be creative anymore. “I was tired of telling my grandkids, ‘I can’t— Nana’s knees hurt,’” explains Amy. In September 2021, her right knee was replaced, and just six months after the surgery, she was hiking with her family in Rocky Mountain National Park, a place she has always wanted to hike. Still, she knew the left knee was wearing down. At the beginning of 2023, she had her left knee replaced as well. Now, with two new knees and no pain, she’s getting stronger every day. She looks forward to many more years of vacationing with her family and helping her husband at his pasta shop. “Next stop,” says Amy, “Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon.” “I hurt real bad,” says Mark. “I was in pain every day for five years. I was a mess! I didn’t want to go anywhere or do anything. It was isolating me from my family and friends because I couldn’t keep up with them and do the things they were doing.” Mark’s knee pain continued to progress to the point where he couldn’t stand straight or walk without a bow in his leg. He continued to plead his case to doctors, but given the complicated reconstruction needed, he continued to be turned away. In a last-ditch effort to find a surgeon willing to fix his problems, Mark was referred to Alan Hinton, MD, at Lake Charles Memorial Health System. “I had given up hope until I met Dr. Hinton,” says Mark. “He looked me in my eyes and said, ‘I hear your story, I see how much you hurt and I’m going to help you.’ And he did.” After a complicated total knee replacement, Mark has returned to the life that he didn’t think he would have again. He is once again serving his congregation, teaching trade skills to younger men and spending his days fishing on his boat. “Today I’m standing tall. I have joy again. And I have God, Dr. Hinton and Lake Charles Memorial to thank for that,” says Mark. “I’m just so grateful.” Alan Hinton, MD Nathan Cohen, MD
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTI0MzU=