Category: Foot and Ankle Overview

Meet Genesis’ May patient of the month, Brian Vogelsinger! Brian is an air traffic controller at Chicago Enroute Center, as well as an accomplished athlete. He has competed in marathons, triathlons, and Ironman. Unfortunately, he sustained a painful running injury this past year; luckily, he knew of Genesis, and got the care he needed to properly heal!

Brian had a shoulder injury back in 2009, and worked with Dr. Shadid then for a joint resection procedure. He had a great experience, so when another injury came up this past year, he knew right away where to go for care.

This time, Brian worked with Elliot to figure out what was causing lingering pain and inflammation weeks after an injury. He was pleased that Elliot took the time to talk through everything that he was experiencing and felt that he gave him more time and attention than many providers do. An MRI showed that Brian had a stress fracture in his sacrum – a rare injury that was difficult to diagnose. Brian was grateful to know what was causing the lasting pain, and was able to continue physical therapy, take anti-inflammatories, and ease carefully back into regular activity to ensure the fracture healed as quickly as possible. 

Brian is now back to his regular training, and looking forward to competing in a few triathlons and the Chicago marathon later this year. When asked about his experience at Genesis, Brian relayed that he would definitely recommend them to friends and family; he was able to be seen quickly, was impressed with the friendly staff, and was happy to have all his questions answered. Brian says, “Elliot is awesome. It’s like talking to a friend.”

We are so happy that Brian is back in action. Thank you for choosing Genesis!

Our September Patient of the Month is Esther Grossman – a retired preschool teacher, wife of almost 40 years, mother of nine, and grandmother of over 20 grandchildren!

Esther’s retirement goals of going on walks with her husband and children and playing actively with her grandkids were hard to maintain due to chronic knee pain, decreased flexibility, and ongoing mobility challenges. She sought out physical therapy and exercised regularly, but neither of these interventions helped long-term with her pain or mobility. Her knee pain became so debilitating that she thought she had a torn meniscus; an orthopedic doctor discovered that she actually had advanced osteoarthritis in both knees. She received cortisone and hyaluronic acid injections, but these, too, failed to reduce her pain long-term. Since she was in her late 50’s, her doctor suggested that she wait until she was 65 and eligible for Medicare to pursue knee replacement surgery, but Esther decided to seek out a second opinion.

That’s when she discovered Dr. Shadid and Genesis Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. She watched one of his webinars and was drawn to his message of making joint replacement accessible to all, regardless of insurance status. She made an appointment for an evaluation right away.

Esther first met with Mr. Johnson, PA, who she described as incredibly clear and helpful in his explanations. When she asked his opinion on a knee replacement, she was relieved by his response of, “You never have to tell a patient they need a knee replacement; they’ll tell you.” Esther felt like she was finally heard. She was able to schedule both knee replacement surgeries with Dr. Strotman, and was happy that the office was willing and able to work with her timeframe so that she could attend one of her son’s graduations in Spokane, Washington this summer.

Post-surgeries, Esther is starting to feel like her old self, and is grateful to Genesis Orthopedics & Sports Medicine for helping her get there. From Dr. Strotman’s thoughtful decision in sealing her incision with glue rather than stitches so that she has optimal potential for regaining much of her range of motion, to the care with which Danielle, the scheduler, ensured that insurance glitches were worked out before her surgery dates, Esther has already taken it upon herself to recommend Genesis to friends and family– especially those who have exclaimed, “Wow, what did you do?!” after seeing her in discomfort for years. She is now able to enjoy her daily walks, including stopping to chat with neighbors, and can sit on the floor to play with her grandchildren.

Thanks for choosing Genesis, Esther!