Mitch Clark

Now, walks are enjoyable again.

My knee was replaced, and I am back to being active.

I’m an artist, and I enjoy being active outdoors. And on June 29, I had my knee replaced at Carlinville Area Hospital & Clinics.

In the winter, I like to go hiking on uneven territory in the woods. As I traversed the crooked, shifty landscape, I felt a pain in my knee that grew much worse over time. By the time spring arrived, I was limping badly. Many of the things I enjoyed doing weren’t possible due to pain, and when my knee was assessed, it was found to be bone on bone — my knee needed to be replaced. I thought, “OK, could it be done in Carlinville?”

“I was very happy to learn my surgeon, Dr. Brett Wolters, was able to perform the procedure at our local hospital.”


I met with him and saw the amazing images of my knee. My wife, Rosemary, and I also met with the surgery and physical therapy teams beforehand. They talked about what was going to happen and gave a good explanation of all the details. It was like being on a boat that was manned by an expert crew. I felt secure every step of the way from pre-surgical consultation to scheduling to the actual surgery and the physical therapy that followed.

“Since surgery, I’m amazed at how much better I feel. It’s astonishing really.”

I was basically crippled. Then suddenly, I’m on the road to recovery relatively quickly especially thanks to the physical therapy team. Their efforts are very creative — they were doing things that I thought were ingenious, fascinating approaches to getting someone back to normal. They’re very compassionate and professional. The physical therapy team saw to every detail of my recovery.

Most of the things I was able to do in the past, I’m now able to do again. I’m walking about a mile a day, and my favorite walking spot is the path that is located at the hospital. Physical therapy has a big window looking out at the path, so they have my actions down perfectly. They know exactly where I am every morning and afternoon. And they say, “We’re keeping our eye on you.” I can say I don’t experience any disability whatsoever, and while I’m still working to regain more flexibility, which will come in time, I’m very comfortable and looking forward to enjoying many more walks with my wife and dogs.

— Mitch Clark


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