Joint Replacement Patient Stories

At Henry Ford Health, we don’t just treat illness or disease. We treat people. Our patients’ lives are touched by the compassion, dedication and expertise of our staff in thousands of different ways every day, whether it's a lifesaving treatment or simply a reassuring smile and kind word. Every patient’s story is unique. We are grateful for those who allow us to share their stories here:

Multiple joint stories

Norman's story

When Norman Lewis received weights as a kid to help him get stronger, it ended up being a gift that changed his life. At 88-years-old with four joint replacements, he’s still lifting.

Shoulder stories

Carole's story

At 81, Carole did not want surgery. But intense shoulder pain led her to reverse total shoulder replacement, which helped relieve the pain from arthritis and rotator cuff tears.

Knee stories

Jim's story

As an active community member, Jim's quick recovery time after robotic-assisted knee surgery moved him forward down the field.

Suzanne's story

After years of pain Suzanne underwent knee replacement surgery and now she's back to putting the "grand" in "grandma."

Derisha's story

Derisha, a young certified nursing assistant, overcomes her lifelong battle with her weight and debilitating knee to pain to get back to work and her active life.

Lynne's story

After total knee replacement surgery and recovery Lynn is ready to hit the road again.

Sandra's story

Ever since her early teens, Sandra’s knee would pop out of place and back with excruciating pain whenever she turned a certain way.

Laura's story

After 12 surgeries and a decade of knee pain, yoga teacher Laura Terpsma found relief after knee replacement surgery at Henry Ford Health.

Lawaun's story

A 60-year-old patient is back on skates after robotic assisted full knee replacement.

Thomas's story

After 5 knee surgeries and years of pain, Tom never imagined life without a knee brace but now he has a new lease on life.

Barb's story

Barb really wanted to keep up with her very active grandchildren. “But my knee pain kept me from being able to bike and swim with them like I used to.”

Tom's story

“I was pleasantly surprised to be up and walking only three hours after my outpatient surgery. Within a total of ten hours, I was home again. Amazing!”

Mark's story

Mark Ellis of Richmond suffered excruciating pain from a former ACL injury and arthritis in the knee, but fear and anxiety kept him from seeking medical treatment.

Kathi's story

Birding is Kathi Hince's passion, but chronic pain made it extremely difficult for her until her knee surgery.

Warren's story

Warren Pettaway of Detroit knew he had to have his left knee checked out when he could no longer keep up while officiating basketball.

Hip stories

Patrick's story

After years of discomfort, Patrick Mendez of Dearborn is thankful for a quick recovery from hip replacement, so he can get back to his busy life as a husband, father and grandfather.

Stephanie's story

Stephanie Tromblay experienced hip pain for over ten years that was progressively getting worse. A chance meeting with a client opened the door to her finding relief with Henry Ford.

Marge's story

Marge Wisniewski started to have pain in her right hip due to favoring her left leg after an injury. After cortisone injections offered no relief, she knew it was time for a replacement.

Cora's story

Cora Young was already suffering from arthritis in her hip and knew she needed a hip replacement, but she was concerned about pain. When she started struggling to rise from a chair and was unable to do regular activities, it was time to seek help. After Michael Charters, M.D. performed her hip replacement she was pain-free.

Glenn's story

Glenn, an active farmer, underwent outpatient robotic hip replacement surgery to gain relief from his 20-year old hip injury.

Jim's story

After living with lower back and hip pain for two years, Jim underwent two hip replacement surgeries and now he’s back to playing sports and living his best life.

Kimberly's story

When hip arthritis started affecting Kimberly’s walking and sleeping, she knew it was time for hip replacement surgery. After hip replacement surgery she back to living pain-free.

Phyllis's story

When Phyllis’s worsening knee pain began to mean cutting back on work and her active life, she wasn’t going to have it.

Matt's story

"I am much more active, and I’ve lost 10 pounds. I sleep better, and my mood has improved."

Beth's story

Doing ordinary things like getting in and out of a car or even dressing for work was a real pain for Beth Waters. “I was a 9 on the pain scale, but today I’m thrilled to say I’m pain free.”

Mike's story

The nagging pain in Mike Crowe’s left hip was growing worse with each passing day, and he realized he had to do something very soon.