Dr. Noblin,
I have included a photo with this letter in hopes you will remember me. You did multiple surgeries for me (I honestly have lost count), but the most memorable one is the patella-femoral replacement surgery you did for me January 2008. I meant to write you on the 10 year-anniversary of my surgery in January to give you an update, but I’ve been so busy living my life that here I am coming upon my 11th year-anniversary and still have not properly thanked you for giving me my life.
Believe it or not, I have two adorable grandbabies now! My husband and I now live in the Raleigh/Durham area near our oldest (Timothy – you did a knee surgery for him right before Katrina in July 2005), his wife, Gaby, and their two kids Samuel (5) and Matthew (2). Last Saturday, I had the kiddos for the day and took them on a hike where I had to climb steps, climb rocks, climb bridges, carry the 2 year-old (often), and walked quite a ways as this was the first time I had ever been on this trail and did not realize how long it was!
But, you know what? I made it. And I had fun. We had fun! My knees held. Your surgery held – 10 years later. I not only am enjoying being an active grandmother, I have been working full-time since March 2016 first at Walgreens and now as a teller at PNC Bank – both requiring a lot of activity and being on my feet all day. I am off all narcotics and take Tylenol for pain (I STILL have hives – yes – 14.5 years later and STILL cannot take any NSAIDS), but have learned how to balance my life with my activity level keeping my pain in check. I’m good.
So, Dr. Noblin, please accept my sincere thanks for giving me my life. I think about you every single day and the gift you have given me an active life. I never take a single step for granted including being able to go up and down stairs – or hiking trails – as I know those steps came at a cost…the cost you paid to become an orthopaedic surgeon and the cost I paid having many years of my life stolen from me. But, together, all these years later we have two young boys with a grandmother that can climb over rocks just to show them how cool river rapids look or take them all over the treehouse at the science museum. Thank you for the part you played in bringing my sweeties – magic.
Many hugs and blessings to you and yours,
