WHEN V I BRANT 3 9 - Y EAR - OLD
Alaina Hartley
woke up one morning suddenly unable to walk, it was
frightening. Being born with dislocated knee caps had
not stopped this active mother of three teenage boys from
enjoying a lifestyle that included running her first half-
marathon just about a year before her rude awakening.
Alaina met with PeaceHealth orthopedic surgeon
Andrea Young, MD, and learned she needed a patella
realignment surgery, which involved three procedures—
arthroscopy, proximal repair, and a tibial tubercle
osteotomy—and a full-recovery period of one year,
devastating news for the always-active Alaina.
Alaina is now back to running and the gym. She credits
her return to an active lifestyle to the care she received
through her healing journey from surgery to hospital
stay to rehabilitation. She refers to her experience at
PeaceHealth Medical Group Orthopedics with Dr. Young
and Ryan Wehmann, PA-C, as “absolutely fabulous! They
answered all my questions and outlined everything that
would happen to prepare me for my surgery and recovery.
Ryan Wehmann even came in in the middle of the night
when I was recovering in the hospital to help with my pain
control.”
Still going strong
Alaina says her surgery and hospital stay at PeaceHealth
St. John exceeded her expectations. “Everyone was great,
from the orthopedic floor to the anesthesiology to the
CNAs to housekeeping.”
ONE STEP AT A TIME
Alaina’s recovery meant three months of staying off her
leg, and she lost most of her muscle mass in that leg. The
next phase in her healing journey included three months
of physical therapy at PeaceHealth Outpatient Therapies.
“I honestly didn’t think I would walk again,” shares Alaina,
but Roger Karnofski, PT, was instrumental in helping her
regain use of her leg. “I can’t say enough about Roger. He
was amazing,” says Alaina.
“Recovering from surgery is hard work, as Alaina can
attest,” says Dr. Young. “It takes a team to care for patients,
from clinic to surgery to the hospital staff to physical
therapy. People often think of surgery as a quick fix, when
really it’s just the beginning of the journey. I love seeing
patients’ commitment to themselves pay off, as it did
for Alaina.”
The unstoppable Alaina is now preparing for a 5K race.
“It’s excellent to be active again and have my life back and
be doing the things I love,” Alaina enthuses. “The best part
is, I can wear high heels again!”
Andrea Young, MD
Sports Medicine and
Orthopedic Surgery
PeaceHealth Medical Group
Orthopedics
1615 Delaware St.,
Longview, WA
360-414-5750
Ryan Wehmann, PA-C
PeaceHealth Medical Group
Orthopedics
1615 Delaware St.,
Longview, WA
360-414-5750
Wear
pink!
Support
breast cancer
awareness and prevention
at the
Tough Enough to
Wear Pink
performance.
When:
Saturday, July 26, 1 p.m.
Where:
Thunder Mountain
Rodeo
Info:
Visit PeaceHealth and
the Hot Flashing Lumpy
Ladies to purchase a $5 raffle
ticket and chance to win
$1,000. All proceeds benefit
the PeaceHealth St. John
Kearney Breast Center.
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