{"id":9601,"date":"2023-08-14T17:07:02","date_gmt":"2023-08-15T00:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/?page_id=9601"},"modified":"2026-01-30T10:50:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T18:50:20","slug":"patient-story-building-adventure-together-samaritan-health-services","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/about-samaritan\/together\/patient-story-building-adventure-together-samaritan-health-services\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Adventure Together"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t

Building Adventure Together<\/h1>\n\t\t\t
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\u201cI can get out, work in the yard, bend over and pick things up with no problem. There\u2019s no more pain in the knee, period.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

~Randy Kiesling<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Joint Replacement Gets Fishing Guide Back on the Water<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to finding the best fishing spots in southeast Alaska, few people know the waters of the last frontier better than Randy Kiesling, 74, of Corvallis. But when it came to navigating treatment options for his chronic knee pain, he chose the experts at Samaritan Medical Group Orthopedics \u2013Albany to be his guides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For 22 years, Randy showed tourists to the 49th state where to cast and reel in lunkers worthy of a great fish story. But it came at a cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI started noticing the pain getting worse when I was in Alaska,\u201d Randy said. \u201cI kept hyperextending my knee, because I was constantly bending over the rails of the boat to get fish and doing stuff like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Randy decided it was time to see a doctor. He knew people who had pain similar to his and ended up having joint replacement surgery. In fact, Randy\u2019s sister had two knee replacements several years prior and his wife, Nance, was her coach for both procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHis sister had her surgeries in Salem, so I just assumed that\u2019s where we\u2019d go,\u201d Nance explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before making a final decision, however, Nance did some research. That\u2019s when she learned about the DNV-GL certified joint replacement program at Samaritan Albany General Hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was like, \u2018Wait a second,\u2019\u201d she recalled. \u201cI read about some of the new things they had done at the Albany hospital and it sounded like the greatest place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Randy followed his wife\u2019s advice and made an appointment to see James Ryan, MD, the program\u2019s medical director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLike any sensible husband, I just did what she told me to do,\u201d he joked.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI\u2019d tell them to get it done. It\u2019s just not worth being in all that pain.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

~Randy Kiesling<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Ryan diagnosed him with severe osteoarthritis and joint replacement was indeed one of the options on the table. However, since there were plans for several more seasons in Alaska, he initially opted to try a series of less-invasive treatments such as cortisone and lubricant injections into the knee joint, taking ibuprofen and wearing a knee brace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But following his final season in Alaska, Randy acknowledged the inevitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was bone-on-bone,\u201d he said. \u201cIt got so painful to walk on, it was ridiculous. Dr. Ryan showed me the x-rays and said it was time to get things taken care of. I trusted him and figured I could take what he said to the bank.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Soon after his joint replacement, Randy was feeling like his old self again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s night and day \u2013 just such a big difference,\u201d he said. \u201cI can get out, work in the yard and bend over and pick things up with no problem. There\u2019s no more pain in the knee, period.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Randy credits Samaritan\u2019s joint replacement education class with getting him well-prepared for his surgery and recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI felt very well-informed about everything that was going to happen,\u201d he said. \u201cI was given the pre-op exercises and I did them militantly. The same with rehab. It made a huge difference. You need to do it absolutely by the book.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt really made me appreciate how a thoughtful, conscientious crew can really make a difference in your experience.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

~Randy Kiesling<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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In addition to Dr. Ryan and his physician assistant, Eric Moen, PA-C, Randy gives the entire Samaritan team rave reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt really made me appreciate how a thoughtful, conscientious crew can really make a difference in your experience,\u201d he explained. \u201cFrom the nurses to the person who empties the trash in your room, from the person who brings your food to everybody in between, they all took their jobs very seriously. I never met an unpleasant person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked what advice he would share with other people who are considering joint replacement, Randy doesn\u2019t hesitate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019d tell them to call Samaritan and get it done. It\u2019s just not worth being in all that pain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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You Don\u2019t Have to Travel Far to Get the Best Possible Care<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Samaritan Albany General Hospital is one of only two hospitals in the state \u2013 and one of only four on the West Coast that is recognized as a DNV GL Healthcare-certified Hip & Knee Replacement Center. This certification is your assurance that we have the resources and commitment to offer you the best possible care for hip and knee replacement. The right personnel. The right training. The right facility \u2013 close to home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learn More About Knee Replacement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr. James Ryan, medical director of Samaritan Orthopedics, describes the mechanics of the surgery and what to expect from total knee replacement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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