For most people the thought of one surgery is enough to give them pause. As the saying goes, life tends to get in the way. That was true for one Watertown man, who says years of putting off surgery led to a rather unique journey in the hopes of eliminating painful achy joints.
All his life, Barry Kjetland has been an active athlete. From the pitcher’s mound to the hiking trail, he’d do it all, despite his doctor discovering arthritis when he was a teenager.
Arthritis Diagnosis as a Teen
“And he says, ‘Man, you got old man's knees.’ And that was at 19! So I knew that somewhere down the road, I was gonna have this type of issue,” said Kjetland.
“We definitely see a lot more knee arthritis as a generality. We do more knee replacements than hip replacements,” said Dustin Bechtold, MD, Avera Orthopedic Surgeon.
“I think it was about 20 years ago that I had this really sharp pain in my left hip. Yeah, you're gonna probably need to replace those joints. Did I think I was gonna have to replace four? I didn't think so, but every one of my joints was getting worse and worse and worse,” said Kjetland.
Both hips and both knees had given all they could. Life always seemed to get in the way or at the very least force him to ignore his achy joints, but at 68 it was finally time for Barry to get the relief he needed.
“There are people who end up with four joints replaced, but typically they happen at different timeframes. To present with four really bad joints at the same time is a little bit unique. So in that case, we typically choose the worst one first," Bechtold said.
“Now, whether that's the one that's most painful typically, or the one that's impacting the rest of the function the most, let's start there and take it one step at a time,” said Bechtold.
Take the Next Step
Our team and resources can help you decide if joint replacement is the next step.
Four Surgeries, Four Recoveries
“Every surgery was beautiful. Every event was great. We were treated just wonderfully. And in the last three surgeries, we were able to go early and get in. Once I was out, they made sure I was OK. And then we went home that same day. It was marvelous to be able to do that,” said Kjetland.
Barry did all of this in a matter of five months. Something he says would’ve been impossible without the physical and emotional support of his wife Shari.
“To watch a guy like him and the emotional impact that it had on him and his wife, boy, I tell you, that is super rewarding. To see a guy's life changed so much in a pretty short interval of time is great,” said Bechtold.
Now, Kjetland is focused on healing up and building strength.
“All the arthritic pain is gone. It's a blessing. So if I look a little sore some days, it's not because, oh, is the arthritic pain back? No, it's gone. It's just that things have to reconnect and things are getting stronger every day,” said Kjetland.
Chasing Grandkids After Joint Replacement
Barry’s days of chasing pennants might be behind him, but he hopes he’ll one day be able to chase grandkids and just enjoy a life with a lot less pain.
“There's never a good time. Life's busy, there's always an impact. It's just a matter of recognizing that if you take a small pause to get through it, the rest of your life that you would lose out on from having waited too long is not worth it. If it's time to do it, get it done, get it behind you and move on with the life that you're looking for,” said Bechtold.
Get answers to three common questions about joint surgery.
Barry’s surgery schedule is definitely a unique case and may not be for every patient. The orthopedic team and physical therapists work together to determine the best course of action for each individual patient and will adapt to their needs.
