Kimberly Furlong

Knee pain has plagued Kim for years. An orthopedics clinic in the Twin Cities told her she needed both knees replaced, but they wouldn’t do surgery because of her weight. 

“I lost 50 pounds and went back, and they told me to lose more,” Kim says. Steroid injections weren’t relieving her pain, and her mobility continued to deteriorate. “I could only go to stores that offered scooters so I could shop,” she says. “It got to the point where I wasn’t leaving my house.” 

She turned to orthopedic surgeon Clinton Muench, MD. Kim came to Dr. Muench with a Baker’s cyst, a fluid-filled sac behind her knee joint. Dr. Muench ordered x-rays; they showed Kim’s knee was bone-on-bone. “Much to my surprise, he said we could replace it,” Kim says. “I would have higher risks for complications, but he was willing to do the surgery.” 

Kim’s surgery was scheduled for the following week. 

“It was the best thing I’ve ever done,” she says. “At my 6-week follow-up appointment, I asked when he could replace my other knee. I don’t think he thought I was serious.” 

She was. 

Kim had her second knee replacement just 10 weeks after the first. “I had a couple bumps in road the second time around, but it was worth it,” Kim says. “Thanks to Dr. Muench, my knees don’t hurt like they did all the time.”   

Kim worked with physical therapist Corey Tynan, DPT at Rehabilitation Services’ Lakeville clinic. “He has pushed me hard!” Kim laughs. “He kicked my butt, but I didn’t blink an eyelash going back. He’s very reassuring that certain things are a normal part of the recovery process.”   

Kim also joined Planet Fitness to continue strengthening her knees and legs.  

For the first time in four years, Kim can now go into the downstairs level of her home. And she can go shopping: “I hadn’t walked through Target in three years. Now I can walk through every store I want.” 

And she’s traveling: “When I go to Florida, I walk on the beach and put my feet in the water. I’m starting to get my life back that I haven’t had in years.” 

Kim appreciates the teamwork between NH+C’s Ortho and Rehab Services departments, especially physician assistant Deb McGuire Lang, PA-C: “Deb was fantastic to work with. I could call, text or send a message with questions. I’d say, ‘I’m sorry to be a bother.’ She’d reply, ‘You’re not a bother.’ No matter who I contacted, whether it was the Orthopedic Clinic or Rehab Services, I always got a response back in a very timely manner. They’re all so caring and welcoming.”  

That’s true for hospital staff, too. “When I spent the night after surgery, I had the same staff both times. The familiarity was comforting,” Kim says. “They knew my history and remembered me. It’s so family-oriented, and they care about you as a person. At NH+C you’re a person, not a number. It was the best experience possible.” 

Kim’s advice for people struggling with their next steps: “Ask. You might be surprised what they can do for you. They take a chance on people who are larger than normal size.” 

“I realize I’m a big girl, but dammit they took such good care of me,” Kim says. “I can’t thank them enough. They’ve given me my life back, which I thought would never be possible.”