Patient Testimonials

I broke my arm in 2010 during a massive snowstorm. Dr. Neil Johnson came to the emergency room and scheduled me for surgery the next morning. The repair involved a plate and 11 screws. After 9 months, the hardware needed to be removed due to a metal allergy, which he was able to access quickly. Dr. Johnson and his team were outstanding during the entire process! Due of his incredible knowledge and surgical expertise, my arm is back to being 100%!

My experience with my original procedure was good. Unfortunately, I had an accidental fall at home the day after my surgery and ended up breaking a few stitches. I went back to TCO Urgent Care where I was quickly taken care of by Dr. Vanden Berge. He recommended that I check back into the hospital that night so he could perform surgery the next morning. Dr. Vanden Berge gave me a few encouraging words before my second surgery, which made my wife and I feel reassured. He said, “things happen and we will fix it up”, which he did.

At first, I was disappointed since I felt like my fall would slow my rehab. However, that was not the case, and my recovery is going very well. The pain typically happens at night and after my physical therapy exercises which I was told to expect. Falling at home was the only bad part of my recovery experience. I want to give a big thank you to Dr. Vanden Berge and the many people at TCO who had to perform surgery on me twice. I am very pleased with my care from him and his team.

When I got hurt a couple of weeks before playoffs, it felt like the entire season flashed in front of me. I went down during a game, landed hard, and immediately felt this sharp, sweeping pain through my shoulder. I knew right away something was wrong. I left the game, and the worst thought hit me: this might be it, and it’s my senior year.

What made it harder was that my grandparents had flown in from Arkansas, my aunts were there from out of state too, my brother was home from college, and within the first ten minutes of the game, I was on the sideline. It was disappointing, but honestly, it was scary too.

We went straight to the ER that night for an X-ray to rule out anything broken. Nothing showed up structurally, which was a relief, but the prognosis still didn’t look good. A follow-up the next day at TCO Urgent Care revealed I had a long road ahead of me and still the potential of my season ending. My mom ended up connecting with someone on Monday at TCO who really understood how important the situation felt. She helped us get an appointment with a TCO shoulder specialist, Dr. Christopher Honstad, the very next day.

That appointment was the first time I felt real hope. Dr. Honstad was calm, straightforward, and understood both the emotional weight and the athletic pressure I was under. He said I needed to start physical therapy as soon as possible, and within 45 minutes, I was meeting the PT who would guide my entire comeback.

Physical Therapist Cody Suchla made a huge difference. He listened, understood what I wanted, and trusted my sense of what I could tolerate. One of the first things I told him was that we were going to win state. He laughed, but every week after that he kept asking how the games went, how the team was doing, and how I was feeling. He was relatable, creative, and made the whole process something I actually looked forward to.

The therapy itself wasn’t easy. I had significant pain, and we progressed slowly, but it was steady. Rehab bike work, strength training, stretching, pushing through certain movements and holding back on others. A week before I was supposed to return, Cody had another staff member build a custom shoulder brace for me. It ended up being exactly what allowed me to get back out there.

Four weeks after the injury, I returned for our game against Zimmerman. I wasn’t 100%, but I was back. Then, we went on a run and won Orono’s first-ever football state championship! Those last few weeks of the season are memories I’ll remember forever. After everything that happened, getting to finish my senior year on the field with my teammates meant everything. A bonus was having the honor to accept the Most Valuable Teammate award following the championship win.

Looking back, I’m so grateful for the care I received and for the caring people who made sure I had a chance to finish what I started. TCO helped give me my season back.

When you have a house full of rodeo riders, wrestlers, and football players, injuries are going to happen. At one point, we had seven broken bones in 14 months. That’s when we stopped going to the ER and started going straight to TCO Urgent Care in Vadnais Heights.

What makes Dr. Ockuly stand out is how approachable he is. He doesn’t just treat our boys, he gets to know them. He makes the experience feel personal and never rushed. They feel like they’re visiting a friend, not just a doctor. He even checks in after surgery or a big injury.

When my son Marshall broke his foot riding saddle bronc in North Dakota, he drove all the way home so he could go to TCO. That same weekend, we happened to see Dr. Ockuly at the state rodeo finals, and he took the time to check Marshall’s foot under a tent between events. That’s the kind of care you don’t forget.

Dr. Ockuly truly understands how important it is for kids to get back to doing what they love. Every conversation is clear, supportive, and focused on getting us back on track. As a mom, that kind of trust means everything. I know that no matter what, we’re in good hands.

In the fall of 2020, I was walking across my deck with an extension cord and tripped over the cord end. As I lay on the sidewalk assessing for possible damage, I rotated my leg left and right. Unfortunately, my right foot looked like it had quit, as my toes remained pointing skyward. I had made it to the age of 72 without breaking any bones. We were assigned to Dr. Ockuly and his team. My wife and I were introduced to Dani, who is Dr. Ockuly’s Care Coordinator. If we had any questions or concerns, Dani called back incredibly quickly and was very professional. If she didn’t have the answer, she found out and called us back promptly. During the consultation, we shared our faith life with Dr. Ockuly, who responded in kind. This deepened the relationship greatly and added significantly to the trust between patient and doctor.

Sometime after that, my wife was involved in a car accident. I drove to the emergency room and met her there after the EMTs had arrived. Lo and behold…she had unfortunately broken her arm and wrist. These were the first broken bones for her as well. During a break in the action, I slipped outside and left a message with Dani. She quickly called me back, and we scheduled an appointment with Dr. Ockuly again. I was so grateful to have his team help me get scheduled on the spot.

In my retirement, I took a job as a school bus driver. I am blessed with wonderful kids on my route, and they make me happy. One part of my job I did not like was taking the 200-yard walk from the base office to my bus, and the same walk again at the end of my shift. My arthritic knees made the journey so painful. This summer, Dr. Ockuly and his team replaced both knees. WOW! Though some discomfort remains, I am taking long, confident strides. At my follow-up appointment this week, I told Dr. Ockuly, “Thank you for using your God-given gifts to repair me so I could share my God-given gifts with others!” At that point, Dr. Ockuly offered me a tissue as I was starting to tear up! As I left, I thanked Dani profusely and received a hug from Annie, who invited us to her church to see their adoration chapel. My incisions are healing very well, and my final knee X-rays proved the surgery was perfect.

Thanks a million, Twin Cities Orthopedics for your specialized Urgent Care facility. I had unbearable pain for three days and was blessed to discover TCO and its staff. From registration to X-rays to evaluation and treatment, the process was superb.

Our family has seen Dr. Eggert for more than one broken bone as we have 4 very active children. Our daughter broke her leg skiing in 2022, and her wrist later that year, and our son recently broke his wrist skateboarding. The most recent injury led us to the new TCO Urgent Care in Excelsior. I cannot express my amazement on how quickly they were able to see my son, x-ray his wrist, and promptly get him in a splint. It was the most efficient urgent care experience of my life, in addition to being well cared for. We followed up with Dr. Eggert to get casted the following week and he was knowledgeable, patient, and pragmatic — everything you want in an orthopedic physician. We can’t recommend him enough along with all the TCO facilities.

Dr. Vargas was excellent!

I went to urgent care at TCO Vadnais Heights because I slipped and fell down my stairs. Dr. Vargas was on-site for clinic that day, and he was able to squeeze me into his schedule.

He was direct and kind, and he also communicated the urgency to resolve the physical trauma quickly. He was able to schedule foot and ankle surgery for me in two days with him. I’ve found out subsequent to this that for many people, it can take weeks to get in for surgery!

Although I was nervous at how all of this was unfolding so quickly (Wednesday urgent care, and Friday surgery), it was the best decision I made for my health to get the surgery. He was able to answer my questions, stay connected with me prior to surgery, and was attentive. My healing and recovery are going really well, and it’s been less than one week since my surgery.

If you want someone who “tells it like it is,” gives you solid, fact-based advice, cares for his patients, and is an expert in his field, then Dr. Vargas is your surgeon. I’ll be recommending him to my family and friends, should they need a podiatrist surgeon.

I really appreciated the friendly smiles and explanation of steps. The physician assistant and the x-ray tech introduced who they were and explained what they were going to do— I really appreciated that. Jessie explained my x-ray results and we had a great discussion. She answered my questions and lifted up the physical therapists and how they will be able to teach and explain more to me with their depth of Kinesiology knowledge. I’m excited for my PT appointment to learn how best to help heal what my problem is today and how to prevent it in the future. Jessie listened closely to my questions and answered appropriately. I feel I had a say in my care and treatment. Thank you to my aunt who referred me to the Urgent Care in Forest Lake for my issue— she was right, there was no wait and I received EXCELLENT care! Kudos to Jessie the PA, the x-ray tech, and the friendly front desk staff Kari and the other gal! Thank you!

I (mom) recently used TCO for knee care and rheumatology, all experiences were great. I wish I had skipped the visit to the ER and went to orthopedic urgent care. When my son got injured, we came straight to TCO Forest Lake!