Sioux Falls students and teachers are heading back to the classroom this week to reunite after an eventful summer break. Some more eventful than others. That was the case for a retired teacher who had a rather unique experience seeking help for knee joint pain.
For 40 years, Laurie Swanson taught first grade in communities across South Dakota.
“First grade is a fun year. You never know what to expect with those little ones,” said Swanson.
Shortly after retiring, Laurie started noticing more pain in her knees.
"I was kind of putting it off, you know, going to the chiropractor and just kind of thinking, no, I can't, I don't think I'm ready for that yet, but I did. I needed to have it done,” said Swanson.
It being a total knee replacement. So Laurie started getting recommendations on the right surgeon for the job — it was her neighbors who told her to see Dr. Ben Walters.
“She had been dealing with knee pain for quite a while and the typical presentation is pain, pain with activity, some instability and sure enough her X-rays did show some bone-on-bone arthritis,” said Ben Walters, DO, with Avera Orthopedics.
A Reunion 30 Years in the Making
Also on those X-rays was a name that sent Dr. Walters down memory lane.
“I looked at the name and it registered right away. So I walked in, I saw the face. 30 years had passed, but still I knew exactly who it was,” said Dr. Walters.
“He did come in and he said, Mrs. Swanson?"
“And then her reply was, Benji!"
“Benji, can I call you that? Well, sure you can!” said Swanson.
Swanson was Benji Walter’s first grade teacher. Small talk turned to reminiscing — and like any experienced teacher — Mrs. Swanson came armed with secrets from the past.
“He had this cute little mullet haircut. So he just kind of stuck out,” laughed Swanson.
“She did bring the class roster in for I think it was 1992 first grade class. There were about 20 of us in that class and sure enough going through the whole thing, back when mullets were cool, there’s a picture of Benji Walters with the mullet there! So we had some staff members get a hold of that picture and passed it around the whole office to make sure that everyone knew how cool the hair was when I used to have hair and how cool I looked with it!” said Dr. Walters.
Calming Nerves About Surgery and Recovery
It may not seem like much, but finding this little shared common ground and history, helped put Laurie’s concerns about the surgery to rest.
“It did, it made me more comfortable that I knew him and I knew we had gone through a lot that first year in first grade. So I was taking care of him at that time and it was his turn to take care of me in my retirement years!” said Swanson.
“It's really rewarding to care for your patients that were the ones that helped raise you to be who you are. So when you see patients that have some type of connection, that's very fun. Whether it's a friend of a parent or a teacher, or it might be some of your friends or relatives, it's always rewarding to see someone that trusts you to help take care of them, to get through their surgical needs,” said Dr. Swanson.
We meet so many people over the course of our lives — some maybe for only a short period. But this surgeon and this retired teacher are a reminder that you never know when and who you might bump into on life’s journey.
“It makes you proud that they have advanced in their education and their professions. So it does. I had him in first grade. I helped him to read,” laughed Swanson.
Swanson just finished having her other knee replaced by Dr. Walters in May of 2026 and is looking forward to a retirement that’s free of joint pain.
Learn more about orthopedic surgery options at Avera
