Ally Mittler

As a rock climber on my university's club team, I typically trained for an hour or two every day. My ulnar nerve in my left elbow became entrapped from climbing too frequently, without any days off. I spent four months feeling like my funny bone had been smashed with a hammer and, later, with little feeling in my pinky and ring finger. After various other appointments that provided me with no relief, I finally made an appointment with Dr. Altchek. At my first appointment, he said that I would need an ulnar nerve transposition to prevent nerve damage. I got fitted with a brace and he operated on me the following day - a few days before I returned to resume classes. I brought my brace with me to school for when my cast was taken off. HSS provided me with everything I needed to make a smooth transition back to classes. On my next break from school, I started physical therapy with Terrance, and met with him 3 times a week before returning to Ithaca again. Both Dr. Altchek and Terrance were incredibly responsive and frequently checked in on me while I was away from home. Without them, I would not have made a full recovery so quickly. I'm excited to say that 1 year later I am back to 100%. This time I'll take a day or two off from climbing.