"The Best Two Weeks I've Had in Over Two Years" GAE Patient Story
One Patient's Story of Chronic Knee Pain, a Bold Decision, and a Brand New Start
She was 51 years old, had played softball for 30 years, and had spent her life as an athlete. When arthritic knee pain sidelined her in 2024, she did everything right, including PRP injections every three months, two full years of intense physical therapy. She kept showing up. She kept pushing.
And she kept hurting.
By late 2024, the conversation had shifted from repair to replacement. A full knee replacement, at 51.
She wasn't ready to accept that.
FINDING DR. BROWN
She found Southern Kentucky Vascular on her own. She researched. She read reviews. She made an appointment.
Her orthopedic surgeon, whom she describes as conservative and thorough, wasn't immediately familiar with GAE. However, after she brought it up, he told her he'd look into it. A few hours later, his office called back.
He was fully on board.
Watch the full interview here.
Two Years of Persistence
This wasn't a patient who gave up easily.
For two years she had done everything asked of her — injections, therapy, rest. She pushed through it because she had a seven-year-old nephew in her full custody who needed her present and active. He wanted to play baseball. He wanted to go to the park. He kept asking when they could go.
Most of the time, all she could do was watch.
By the time she came to Southern Kentucky Vascular, her knee was visibly swollen, "it was huge," she said, gesturing. She hadn't seen her kneecap in two years.
The Day of the Procedure
She describes the experience in the procedure room:
"I think the coolest part was listening to them and watching it on the screen. I knew exactly what was going on at every moment."
She felt informed, cared for, and at ease throughout. Then it was over. Her father was in the waiting room — nervous, she says with a laugh, because he knew his daughter. He knew how carefully she had learned to move, always bracing for the pain of impact.
When she walked out, he reached for her arm out of habit.
She stepped down. They both stopped.
"He said, 'well?' And I said, 'amazing.' And I walked straight to the car like I wasn't hurt at all."
Two Weeks Later
In two weeks, her world had shifted.
She walked a full mile, without stopping, without resting, in 19 minutes. She climbed stairs. She went down stairs, facing forward, on both legs. She got into her father's truck without a second thought, and only realized afterward that she hadn't felt a thing.
She went in and out of the swimming pool with her nephew, and looks forward to experience not just witness activities together.
Her physical therapist, who had worked with her through two long years of incremental progress, came back to their session with a new energy.
"Because she had almost a brand new knee to work with — and she hit the ground running."
And the kneecap she hadn't seen in two years? Both knees finally looked almost the same.
What She Wants You to Know
When people notice she's walking differently — better — she doesn't just say thank you.
"I'm going to tell you about Dr. Brown."
When asked what her most valuable insight from this experience has been, her answer was immediate:
"That this existed."
Since her delay began as a result of her experience with worker's comp, she stated that she regrets not doing this sooner. She spent another year in pain, watching from the sidelines, before finding her way here.
She also credits the open-mindedness of her knee doctor.
"Most knee doctors say, 'this is what it is, this is what we've got.' I wish I had found this sooner."
She's not done yet. Thirty years of softball is a hard thing to walk away from, and she's not convinced she has to just yet.
"Maybe it's those quick turns around the bases I'll have to work up to. But if that happens, I'm coming back to give another interview."