Eric K.

On May 28th, 2015 my life changed forever. It was the day that I was involved in a catastrophic motorcycle accident resulting in multiple traumatic injuries. I sustained a traumatic brain injury and was comatose for a couple of weeks. In addition to that, I crushed my femur, broke my patella, and fractured a couple of bones that were in my spine. With time, everything was healing perfectly with the help of a team of doctors, nurses and therapists. Everything but my knee joint healed correctly. I damaged my knee so badly that scar tissue formed on the joint, limiting my flexion and extension of my knee. After conducting research, I came across and met with Dr. Fragomen and his team at the world-renowned HSS. From day 1, he was thorough, he listened to me, and we built a trusting relationship. After another unsuccessful surgery that had once again put my life on pause, we talked about my options. After numerous surgeries, my options were limited. I was facing the possibility of spending the rest of my life using crutches in severe pain. I could not ambulate easily, nor could I sit comfortably in a public place or while driving. I decided that an amputation was the best option for me to improve my quality of life. On November 2, 2018, I had my left leg amputated from above the knee. Following the surgery, I continue to experience considerably less pain each day. I am anticipating getting the prosthetic device within a few weeks which will help me to get back on my feet and live a full and satisfying life. I am feeling better physically, psychologically and emotionally than I have since my accident in 2015. I want to thank Dr. Fragomen, his team, and everybody at the HSS for getting my quality of life back. I can finally say “I am Back in the Game of LIFE!!”

September 1, 2020:

Once I received the prosthetic device about a year ago, I started therapy to learn how to correctly live with the new leg. I was nervous at first but after learning how to easily maneuver around (which only took a few months), I was discharged from therapy and was very satisfied with how much progress I was making. After about 5 years of not being mobile, I finally felt my quality of life coming back to me. As scary as an amputation sounds, I have to say it was the best decision I have ever made. It is crazy to think of all of the things modern technology can do for you. I know the team at HSS are always here for me whenever I need them, and I can’t thank the handful of doctors and nurses enough for helping me get my quality of life back and for helping me GET BACK IN THE GAME at the time I needed it the most!