John B. knows what it’s like to help people in pain.
A former registered nurse, John, 73, spent his career working in intensive care and trauma surgery at hospitals in Pennsylvania. Now retired, he lives in Muncy with his wife, Nancy.
Everyday Life Brings Irregular Pain
Staying busy during retirement hasn’t been a problem for John. Household chores and yard work take up a good chunk of his time, along with his passion for music. John started playing the guitar as a teenager and has now been an avid musician for nearly 60 years.
Hand and wrist mobility are essential for playing the guitar. But even when he started having pain in his left wrist, John didn’t let it get in his way.
“I was doing it and working through the pain,” John says. “But I’m not sure what harm I was causing.”
Around the same time as his wrist pain began, John noticed a lump on his hand between his thumb and finger. An MRI revealed a ganglion cyst that would require surgery to remove.
The scan also showed that John had torn ligaments in his wrist. But since his pain was mild, he didn’t give the issue much thought.
John expected to find relief once he finished treatment for the cyst. Instead, the opposite happened — his wrist pain worsened.
About a year ago, John noticed the pain was limiting his everyday life. What once was a slight discomfort had become chronic pain. Simple tasks that required his hand and wrist became impossible.
“I really can’t describe how it affected me and my ability to do virtually anything,” John says. “Even putting dishes in the dishwasher or taking them out was just unbearable.”
He knew he couldn’t continue without treatment.
Reaching a Breaking Point
After seeing a doctor, John was diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA). John had scapholunate advanced collapse (SLAC), one of the most common forms of OA affecting the wrist.
OA causes cartilage in the joint to wear away, causing intense pain. Like with many OA cases, John’s pain was getting progressively worse.
Given the impact OA was having on his everyday life, his doctor recommended surgery over other treatments. But undergoing four-corner fusion surgery — a common treatment for severe OA — was only the beginning of John’s recovery.
A Care Team That Goes Above and Beyond
Getting back to normal after a four-corner fusion can take months. In addition to wearing a brace and resting his wrist, John’s doctor recommended starting occupational therapy (OT) a few weeks after surgery.
A referral led him to UPMC Rehabilitation Institute in Muncy and to Dwight Heller, OTR/L, CHT, an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist. Dwight would become one of the many UPMC specialists who would change John’s life.
Although John was nervous to go into OT after his surgery, Dwight quickly put him at ease.
“He made me feel reassured and comfortable, and you could tell that he’s very competent and confident,” John says.
Over the course of several months, Dwight helped John work through his pain. Through mobility exercises, John slowly regained movement in his wrist. He also grew to enjoy seeing Dwight and the team at UPMC Rehabilitation Institute for treatment.
“Dwight was just very easy to get along with and talk with,” John says. “It was a great experience.”
After less than a month of occupational therapy, John went from about 30% wrist function to more than 70%. Soon, he was doing tasks that had been unimaginable a few months prior, and without pain for the first time in years.
He credits the rehabilitation team for going above and beyond.
“To me, UPMC is the best that I’ve ever seen,” John says. “At the Rehabilitation Institute, it’s just a very fun place to be. The people are professional, dedicated, and caring.”
A Reignited Passion for Life
Since undergoing wrist and hand surgery and rehabilitation, John has resumed his daily routine. He’s back to working outside, doing household chores with his wife, and most importantly, playing the guitar.
“It’s made a world of a difference,” John says. “I’m back to normal.”
John still visits UPMC Rehabilitation Institute in Muncy regularly for physical therapy for a labral tear in his hip. He knew it was where he wanted to undergo treatment after his positive experience with Dwight.
“As far as I’m concerned, UPMC Rehabilitation Institute in Muncy is the best I’ve ever seen for rehabilitation,” John says. “They go the extra mile.”