When Lona Oltmann rang in the new year in 2023, she never imagined she would undergo four surgeries in five months.
Lona anticipated another year of dancing the night away, enjoying fresh air on daily strolls, and spending long days walking around her favorite place: the Minnesota State Fair.
Her year didn’t kick off as expected when she injured her foot while dancing at a family member’s wedding in January.
“I was on my feet the entire evening, and danced for four hours – in the process, I blew out the joint of my toe,” said Lona.
Her injury brought her to podiatrist Amie Scantlin, DPM, MHA, FACFAS, in February. By then, Lona could hardly walk on it.
After an X-ray and MRI revealed the injury in Lona’s foot, Dr. Scantlin scheduled her for a foot surgery. In the meantime, Lona continued to rest her injured foot in a boot.
But that was only the beginning – in June, she went to dinner with her family, and when she entered the restaurant, water at the bottom of the restaurant’s steps caused her to slip and fall, tearing the tendons in her shoulder and hip, just two weeks before her scheduled foot surgery.
Lona kept her scheduled surgery, in which a pin was put into her toe, extending into her foot. While she was recovering, she saw orthopedic physician assistant Terese Haasken, MPAS, PA-C, for a preliminary appointment due to the pain in her shoulder.
X-rays showed no broken bones in her shoulder, but Lona would require an MRI – unfortunately, she would need to wait until the metal pin was removed from her foot.
That day would come sooner than Lona expected. One month after surgery, Lona was getting out of a friend’s car when she hooked her foot, and accidentally pulled the pin halfway out of place.
“The next morning, I went to the Emergency Department, where I saw Dr. Jessen – bless his heart,” said Lona. “They took an X-ray and saw that the pin was outside where it should have been – still in the toe, but not all the way in. Dr. Scantlin said we needed to pull the pin because it was no longer in place and not able to do what it needed to.”
At that stage in Lona’s recovery, Dr. Scantlin recommended Lona keep her foot in a boot for the next month. With her foot surgery behind her, Lona went on to undergo surgery for the trauma in her shoulder, which was completed successfully. Lona also saw our physical therapy team to aide her recovery.
Hip to the Problem
“Because of the significant pain in my shoulder and my outstanding foot surgery, I ignored the pain I was dealing with in my hip,” said Lona.
Lona returned to Terese, who first tried a cortisone injection and physical therapy. “After physical therapy and the injection didn’t resolve Lona’s pain, we proceeded to get an MRI that showed tearing in the tendons of her hip, and a condition of the bone that indicated a total hip replacement would be needed,” said Terese.
Lona’s MRI took place on a Tuesday, and she received her results on Wednesday. It seemed Lona’s luck had returned, as Terese and orthopedic surgeon Matthew Copple, DO, FAAOS, happened to receive a cancellation for the following day.
“Life’s timing is crazy sometimes,” said Lona. “Because of the cancellation, they offered me an appointment for the very next day. I needed a pre-op physical, so they got me an appointment with Jess Larson, MSN, FNP-BC, that same day, and the next morning, I was in surgery.”
Even with the quick availability for her surgery with Terese and Dr. Copple, Lona felt at ease heading into the operating room the next day.
“I never had any fears during the process. I would give my right arm to the staff at GRH. I have total faith in them,” said Lona. “I’ve had many surgeries here, and so I had no reservations this time around. It’s the best place to be. We have the very best right here.”
Lona attributes her comfort in the process to her confidence in Terese, Dr. Copple, and the surgery team at GRH.
“They really put your mind at ease,” said Lona. “They care about you. You’re not just another number or another patient. Here, you’re home. You’re treated like you’re special and like you count.”
Lona’s sentiment is shared by our team at GRH.
“We care for our patients like family here,” said Terese. “It’s been said over and over again amongst the providers at GRH – this community extends so much gratitude to GRH and welcomes their providers into their lives like family, and our team at GRH does the same in return.”
A Hand in Her Recovery
Lona dealt with carpal tunnel in her left hand due to extended time using a computer at work each day.
“My left hand had been going numb, too,” said Lona. “It had been bugging me for months, but I did nothing with it. At that point, I thought, what’s another surgery?”
In late October, Lona underwent carpal tunnel surgery. The numbness she’d been experiencing was immediately gone after surgery, and she helped her hand recover by wearing a brace and isotonic gloves at night, as well as seeing Michelle Becker, OTR/L, for occupational therapy.
“They really put your mind at ease,” said Lona. “They care about you. you’re not just another number or another patient. Here, you’re home. you’re treated like you’re special and like you count.”
From Surgery to State Fair
Now, Lona’s foot and hand have healed, and she’s graduated from physical therapy for her shoulder, where she’s worked with physical therapist Jennifer Keenan, PT, MPT.
“I can’t say enough about the rehab department,” said Lona. “I’ve worked with several of them, and they’re all wonderful, but Jen Keenan is a gem. She encourages me and when I don’t feel like I’ve improved enough, she reminds me of all the progress I’ve made over the last year.”
After diligently doing her exercises each day, she describes herself as being back to 85 percent with her hip.
“It’s no longer pain in my hip, it’s the weakness that I’m working on,” said Lona. “I’m building my strength back, and that feels good. My big goal is to be able to tolerate long-distance walking this summer. I’m a Minnesota State Fair addict, and I go two or three days each summer, so I need to be able to walk.”
Since she was 9 years old, Lona has attended the State Fair with her family, including her father, Orville, who showed hogs at the Fair for nearly 50 years, and was even featured on Channel 11 news.
“The State Fair was just always a big deal for us. I love it, my kids love it, my grandkids love it. I grew up with it,” said Lona. “There’s so much to do at the Fair, and spending time with my family there has been really special. We’ve had many fun years at the Fair and made so many friends. It’s a big deal for us.”
Lona has shared her goals with our physical therapy team, who are working with Lona to make sure she’s able to enjoy her cotton candy on a cone while walking around the fair herself.
“My goal is to truly be able to walk it,” said Lona. “I don’t want to resort to a scooter, so my goal is to build up my strength enough to be able to tolerate walking for a day. I’m grateful for the support from Jen and the rest of the physical therapy team in working to reach that goal.”
Lona’s journey from multiple surgeries to her recovery is a testament to her own resilience. As she looks forward with excitement to returning to the State Fair this year, she reflects on the importance of perseverance and the care she’s received over the last year at GRH.
“You develop a rapport with your team here,” said Lona. “We’re very fortunate in our community. If I can do it at Glencoe Regional Health, I’ll do everything at Glencoe Regional Health. I feel like I belong here.”
To learn more, visit our orthopedics page or call to make an appointment at 320-864-7816.
