Knee Pain Puts a Stop to Decades of Running

What started as a way for Walt to take a break from studying in his first year of grad school evolved into a lifelong gift that just kept giving. It was spring 1977: Jimmy Carter was president, disco was king and Walt laced up his running shoes for his first 10k. Crossing the finish line would prove a life changing moment. In that instant, distance running was no longer a hobby, it was a passion. Walt would go on to tally well over 50 miles weekly over the course of the next 39 years. But with every step on the pavement, Walt unknowingly distanced himself from ever running again. The gift that rewarded him for every mile was slipping away.

Everything changed in the summer of 2016. Walt's left knee hurt badly and felt like it was “full of warm Jell-O.” X-rays would reveal that his knee was bone on bone due to osteoarthritis and years of wear and tear. Just a year shy of four decades of running, Walt met a sudden halt. Over the next two years, he explored different options for care. But with each passing day and limited improvement, he decided he needed more comprehensive care.

Walt was determined to run again, he just needed a team as committed to restoring his gift as he was. At Orlando Health, Walt found a physician who was more than happy to provide a higher level of care so he could pursue his passion. Grateful he’d found the right team, he scheduled his total knee replacement at Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital for November 2019.

Before surgery, Walt was able to set up physical therapy at Orlando Health South Seminole Hospital Outpatient Rehabilitation. When he voiced the importance of having a physical therapist who would accept his desire to run again, the team knew exactly who he needed to help him reach his unwavering goals. After a successful total knee replacement with Orlando Health, Walt returned home ready to do the hard work. He understood he would have to take many small steps before he could run again.

It was a long road back. But to be able to run at all, every single mile is a gift. – Walt, Knee Replacement Patient

Walt took his first small steps post-op supported by a walker. In three days' time, he walked 1.5 miles all on his own. But conquering physical therapy was his ultimate goal. The day he met his physical therapist Amanda Williamson at Orlando Health South Seminole, he had the assistance he needed to reach the finish line. “You need to have a PT program that is world class and a physical therapist that understands your goals and is willing to work with you to help you get where it is you’re trying to go,” Walt said. He was grateful to find that in Amanda and the rehabilitation team at Orlando Health South Seminole. “Having that kind of an extraordinary, consistent, goal-driven, personalized experience is not typical across the country. In fact, it’s pretty damn special.”

Every day, Walt felt himself healing and closing in on his goal as Amanda guided him through exercises. Reaching each milestone meant the world to him. Still, nothing compared to feeling his feet hit the pavement. Once Amanda knew he was ready, she introduced a new tool to his rehab regimen.

“It’s the most magical thing,” Walt said recalling his first steps on the facility's AlterG™ Anti-Gravity Treadmill. It allowed him to determine the exact percentage of his body weight that he would support on his own with the rest being supported by the treadmill’s air calibration system. It was like a dream of running on a cloud, but Walt wasn’t dreaming, he was really running for the first time in over three years. “I hadn’t felt that thing that felt like running since the summer of 2016,” he said, his love for running overflowing. “The little tears started to pop out. It was an amazing thing. And session after session, very carefully, Amanda guided me through it.”

For Walt’s first run on the AlterG™ Anti-Gravity Treadmill, he supported 65% of his weight. Slowly and steadily, he worked his way up to 95%. Amanda was so pleased with his progress, he graduated to a traditional treadmill. Then, finally, he was ready. Four years after hanging up his sneakers, Walt hit the ground running. After meeting doctor after doctor who said he’d never run again, he beat the odds with the help and care of Orlando Health.

Taking his new life in stride, Walt has adopted a new running style to lessen impact on his legs so he can “be doing this for the next 40 years.” Having completed physical therapy, he continues to implement the valuable exercises he learned from Amanda and persists in building the muscles surrounding his knee.

Revived by his rehabilitation, Walt runs at least three times weekly. On weekends, he strives for a long distance run of six to eight miles. As a living witness of what great care can do, Walt founded a Facebook Group for other runners who underwent total knee replacement surgery. He’s happy to share his Orlando Health story and encourages members to seek the best care possible, even when the going gets tough. “It’s a long road back,” he said. “But to be able to run at all, every single mile is a gift.”