Patient of the Month: Greg Widerski

Meet our December patient of the month, Greg Widerski!

Originally from Chicago, Greg has lived in different parts of the country and the world, and has worked in the technology industry for over two decades. He settled back in the Chicago area with his wife and daughters, and Greg and his family moved from a condo in the city to a more spacious home in the suburbs in 2020. Their new digs feature increased living space, acreage, and even a pool!

Unfortunately, the building of their pool is what caused Greg to end up at Genesis Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in the first place. The construction team building the pool left lots of large equipment in Greg’s family’s yard during the building process, and one particular day, a crane was left atop a slightly uneven pile of dirt. Late that night, Greg heard a loud thump. It was pouring rain, and he went outside barefoot, in his pajamas, to see what had caused the commotion. The limestone steps to his backyard had standing water on them, and slick algae had formed from all the rain; in the darkness, Greg slipped on the step, flew into the air, and landed on the step, slamming his foot and toes against the limestone. Limping and bloody, he managed to hobble back into his house. His first thought as he laid down on the couch and mentally assessed the stinging pain in his foot was, “How am I going to explain this to my wife?!” 

The next day, Greg went into an urgent care center to get his foot looked at. The x-ray he received there was low-quality and he didn’t get much information or advice. An internet search showed him that there was a Genesis location nearby and open, and he quickly called and made an appointment there.

At Genesis, Greg was given a high-quality x-ray, which showed that four of his toes were broken, all in a straight line. Elliot Johnson showed him the x-ray and exactly where the break had occurred, which Greg appreciated. He was also given a boot to wear, advice on when and where to wear it, exercises to do, signs to watch out for, pain medication, and a timeline for recovery. He scheduled a follow-up appointment, but was told that if everything seemed to be healing well, that it was not necessary for him to return unless he wanted to.

After about a month, Greg had full mobility and feeling back in his toes and foot. He did not feel a follow-up appointment was needed, and liked that the folks at Genesis did not push him to have one unnecessarily. When asked if he would recommend Genesis to friends or family in need of orthopedics care, Greg gave an emphatic, “Of course!”

We are so pleased that Greg experienced a full and speedy recovery, and are honored that he chose Genesis for his care.