Caitlin Alexander

When I first walked into Dr. John MacGillivray's office on crutches, it took him 10 seconds to diagnose my injury. Complete ACL tear. I broke down in tears right there in the patient room, thinking that this was a career ending injury. A competitive triathlete, I go on 50-100 mile bike rides routinely. One Saturday afternoon in the fall of 2013, I was bike commuting home in Manhattan when I was doored by a cab, knocking me off my bike and completely severing my ACL in my knee. Everything seemed unreal, like a bad dream I wanted to wake up from. Dr. MacGillivray eased my stresses and anxiety and assured me everything would be just fine and I would be back up and running in no time. The biggest thing I was worried about was that I had signed up (before my accident) for my very first Ironman the next summer. He again assured me I could get to that starting line. My experience on the day of the surgery was impeccable. From the lighthearted anesthesiologist to the caring nurses and the physical therapists, I felt comfortable and at ease. Everyone had such a positive and happy attitude and it was contagious! Thanks to Dr. MacGillivray's impeccable skills, my recovery was quick and much easier than I thought it would be. And sure enough, 10 months post-op, I ran across the finish line of my very first Ironman in 11 hours and 47 minutes. I owe so much to Dr. MacGillivray and HSS.