Patient Testimonials

Dr. Koch did my surgery, she is wonderful! A very professional woman with a warm and comforting demeanor. Explains everything and is a good listener. I have already started to refer my family to her.

I fractured my wrist two days before Christmas. I am extremely grateful that Dr. Gesensway and the TCO staff were so thoughtful, proactive, and organized that I was able to have surgery during the short holiday week rather than waiting 10 days. Dr. Gesensway is very personable and an excellent surgeon. My healing process was so much faster than my previous wrist fracture. (Yes, I must be a klutz or maybe just have bad luck when it comes to snow and ice.) He is also a good teacher; I valued having an understanding of my injury and the treatment involved. I especially appreciated how he would repeat certain instructions during post-op appointments. There was no second guessing myself when I wondered what I can or should not do.

I just wanted to thank you Dr. Neil Johnson. I was in a few weeks back for the first time with severe pain in my inner thigh…we really didn’t figure out why exactly, but chose to do an injection in my knee. Wanted to let you know, whether is was the injection or not, everything is amazing now. It was very slow – each day I would tell people, well it feels about 6.5% better…but now it is 100% and no pain at all. I chose not to do the physical therapy for financial reasons, but also because it feels great. Thank you and your staff – everyone was amazing and the entire place was very pleasant and everyone has great customer service!!!

Good experience with Dr. O’Keefe, everything is going well.

I’m a 75 year-old (previously active) female and needed a full knee replacement, which Dr. Anseth performed in September of 2018. Thanks to his skill and the wonderful physical therapy I received at TCO, I was able to fly to the mountains of central Mexico on 2/1, and successfully and without pain, walk 3-4 miles per day for six weeks, up and down the foothills on consistently uneven and sometimes treacherous surfaces.

I had the other knee replaced elsewhere some years before, unsuccessfully, so was very apprehensive to do this second knee. Dr. Anseth’s excellent listening skills, reassurance about anesthesia, a phone call to me the night prior to surgery and his deep and up-to-date knowledge in this field, moved me forward with confidence. I am very grateful to have a different and very positive outcome.

In August 2018, I was at gymnastics practice and tried doing a vault. I fell and hurt my back. The pain kept getting worse and I finally went to TCO. They did a MRI and said I had a stress fracture in my left pars L5. I was put into a brace and eventually 2 more. I was not healing, my leg was going numb and becoming weak. I couldn’t sit or stand long without being in a lot of pain. It was well into my gymnastics competition season and I was not sure if I would be able to do gymnastics ever again. Since I wasn’t going to need surgery, I was referred to my PT, Kristina. She was so great and helpful! We took things slow, she was so patient with me! After months of PT, I was finally allowed to try handstands! It took 8 months to get me back to the gym! Unfortunately, I missed the entire competition season. I am back to training and excited to start competing next season!! Thanks to TCO and Kristina Withers for giving me back the confidence and strength to continue the sport I fell in love with 8 years ago!

I just started my sophomore year of high school and it was going so great. I played on the varsity football team and I got to play with my older brother, which I have never done. Three games into the season, I tore my ACL and meniscus. I was absolutely devastated. It was so difficult to watch my teammates have fun and win games, while I watched on the side lines filling up water. I was at an all time low, until I started going to TCO in Blaine. This was the one time I could push myself and feel like an athlete again. Yes, I was still on crutches for a month, but that didn’t stop me from setting minor goals. TCO was the only place I could push my goals and try to get back to sports.

A few months have past and I watched the whole high school hockey season in the stand. As everyone else was playing games, I was so close to getting back. In six months, I tested my knee to play hockey and I was cleared! I have never felt so much happiness and relief. I can finally return to the sport I love. TCO doctors and my physical therapist, Sam Arnold, helped me push myself to return and I can’t thank them enough. Most players who come back to sport with an ACL tear are around twelve months, and I did it in six. The next week after being cleared, I flew to Michigan to play in the national championship with my best friends. I was playing at the highest level of hockey for my age, when I just tore my ACL and meniscus six months ago. This was a dream come true. Thank you TCO – you helped me feel complete again.

After suffering for over 20 years with lots of pain in my left shoulder, I had a fall. That, of course, finally pushed me to have surgery that I had been putting off. Dr. Hunt was recommended to me, and am I glad! He explained everything to me in words I could understand. Then I had the reverse shoulder surgery. My goodness, that pain was worse than my 36 hour delivery of my 10.3 lb baby girl (with no pain meds)! But well worth it, as I am pain-free now. And my PT, what a sweetie. He answered all my many questions without rolling his eyes!

Hi Jay,

I hope you and your family are doing well.

I wanted to take a minute to once again tell you that because of all your efforts and dedication to helping me walk and have my independence back, I am now back in the workforce! I’ve known for some time that I wanted to work part time in a position where I could interact with people and have some outside connection to the world. This week, that dream came true. The position is ideal for me, working only 10 hours a week, early morning hours. Both Bill and I didn’t know if my leg would present and issues about hiring and qualifications to do the position. It did not, much to my surprise.

Jay, without your help, expertise and encouragement, I would have never reached this level of independence. It is people like yourself and Kyle that I want to thank for continuing to live my life according to my needs. This past winter, I helped Bill with shoveling and even ran the small snow blower. It is not certain on those early days in therapy if I even knew that would be possible.

Bill/I sold our home of 35 years that we built and moved a year ago March to another home only a few miles away. The home we lived in previously was a 2 story and I had a huge landscaped flower garden that was difficult to keep up after losing my leg. Our new home is only 7 years old, with bedrooms, etc. on one level and in an equally great neighborhood as we lived previously. When looking for a new home, we had a list of priorities, namely a flat driveway, few stairs, etc. It has been one year of completing small and major projects in the house and was time that I was ready to look for outside work.

I just want you to know that there are many days, when I reflect back the help your provided to me in therapy and will always be grateful. I hope that your patients know how fortunate they are to be connected with you.

Spring is coming …finally and hope that you and your family will enjoy it!

Looking forward to seeing you when I visit Kyle.

Thanks Jay,

Patty

We saw Dr. Cole because my daughter Riley (15), was experiencing acute pain in her left foot. She plays high school basketball and had a sharp, persistent pain that would not go away. Dr. Cole ordered x-rays because he suspected a stress fracture but they came back non-conclusive. He then suggested we do an MRI because he was suspicious the x-rays were not telling the whole story. We did the MRI and sure enough, there it was. I feel Dr. Cole went above and beyond to help diagnose Riley’s foot pain. I think most doctors would have said the x-ray didn’t show anything and been done. Dr. Cole explained his thoughts the entire way through the process. I felt like we were making informed decisions based on him taking the time to make sure we were educated.  He was a very thoughtful, kind and effective doctor for us.

Not only is he a great doctor but he is a great guy! Riley is interested in becoming a doctor and during our time with Dr. Cole had asked him a few questions about his educational history and experiences. Dr. Cole took extra time to share his thoughts and feelings on how he became a doctor and some of his background. Riley left his office that day excited about her future as a doctor – amazed that he took the time to discuss his life with her. I just can’t say enough about how Dr. Cole took care of us. He took the time to really understand her background, which I think was instrumental to his diagnosis. He was a great doctor and a great role model for our daughter. Thanks, Dr. Cole!!