- April 20, 2018
My name is Dwight Luck. I’m turning 72 next month. I spent 31 years in the Air Force. My wing commander when I was in the military was an avid handball player. Got me introduced to it back in 1977 and I’ve been with it ever since. I’ve done seven marathons, numerous 5Ks, 10Ks, some halfs. That is probably what really took the toll on my knees. Around 2009 it got to the point to where I could only walk about a block. So finally I went in and seen my doctor, my primary care physician at MacDill Air Force Base, and that’s when he sent me to Florida Orthopaedic Institute. And that’s when I met Dr. Gustke. He did the examination x-rays and said, let the only thing that’s going to fix that knee is a total knee replacement. Of course was my first knee so I was a little bit nervous, but I looked at his bio and his bio is very impressive. So I was satisfied that I had the right doctor.
The surgery started. I was at the hospital about 5:30 in the morning. By 7:30 I was probably under, it was on a Tuesday. The way that Dr. Gustke did these knees. My bone structure was such that there was no cementing and had to take place. I got out of surgery, the knee was all wrapped up. By Thursday noon. I was being discharged. Friday morning, the physical therapist was at the my house saying, let’s get started and if we don’t get no pain, we ain’t doing it. He says the right ways. Six weeks of that and we had to start working the extension and the flex. At four months I was back on a handball court playing handball and definitely improved my game even though my left knee wasn’t quite there. He said, I had 50% of cartilage left in the left knee, but he says, let me know when you want that one done.
I went three years. It got to the point where I just wouldn’t take it anymore. The pain was just too much and so I got hold of Gustke said, okay, let’s go do it. And the only thing I was doing was legs. That’s all I do. Prepping them, strengthening the muscles, preparing for that surgery. And I think it really helped. And it was almost three years to the month that he went ahead and did the left knee. I was really pleased because when I came out of the hospital my extension was better compared to the first one. So the recovery was much better and quicker. And the follow up with the, you know, the knees. Everything is just a way it should be. In fact, I was back on a court playing handball in three months with the left knee. He was a little reluctant to let me go but he said don’t play no singles, just play doubles. I said okay. The first time I played I was a little bit in all cause you’re not sure how it’s going to act. Cause now I got a lot of movement and I got side movements going on, forward movements, back movements as I played each time I played, I would put it a little bit more into it. Play a little bit harder. There were no issues. There was no pain. I was to the point to where I didn’t, I really don’t even pay any attention to the knees as far as I’m concerned, or just my regular knees I had before. Florida Orthopaedic Institute, I have been 100% satisfied. The Institute itself has been a 100% outstanding. I can’t say enough about it.
