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Jan 29, 2015 Reporting from Niles, MI
Bringing Back the Music - David and Susan Ratajik
https://www.spectrumhealthlakeland.org/medical-services/surgical-services/da-vinci-patient-stories/Detail/bringing-back-the-music/?utm_source=Bringing_Back_the_Music&utm_medium=PatientStory_Landing&utm_campaign=InternalPages
Jan 29, 2015
Jan 29, 2015
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
After 50 years together, you could say that David and Susan Ratajik of Stevensville have played successfully off the same sheet of music throughout their marriage. But when pain experienced by each of them started to slow their tempo, it was time to
Bringing Back the Music - David and Susan Ratajik
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
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Bringing Back the Music - David and Susan Ratajik
Jan, 2015
Physicians: Justin Sybesma, MD
After 50 years together, you could say that David and Susan Ratajik of Stevensville have played successfully off the same sheet of music throughout their marriage. But when pain experienced by each of them started to slow their tempo, it was time to seek help. They turned to orthopedic surgeon Justin Sybesma, MD, for direction.
David, 73, a retired school principal and a semiprofessional musician, had been suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists, keeping him from playing the clarinet and saxophone. The condition causes sharp pain in the hands or fingers, due to irritation of specific nerves and tendons. The pain had become so intense that David had to sleep with his hands above his head, sometimes resorting to falling asleep in a chair.
“It just kept getting worse and worse,” David said.
When physical therapy did not improve his condition, David met with Dr. Sybesma and decided to undergo surgery. Dr. Sybesma performed outpatient surgery at Lakeland Medical Center, St. Joseph on each of David’s arms within six weeks of each other.
“It couldn’t have been any better,” he said, looking back. David said he appreciated Dr. Sybesma’s personable nature and his good listening skills.
“Dr. Sybesma had said there would be no restrictions on David after his surgery,” Susan said. “Within a week, he was playing his instrument in a concert, which was unbelievable!”
Meanwhile, Susan, 71, a retired registered nurse, had been suffering some pain of her own. Dr. Sybesma had previously repaired a torn meniscus in one of her knees. She also had arthritis in the joint and received cortisone injections.
“I was in pain all the time,” Susan said, adding that on a 10-level scale, her pain was usually at the seven to 10 range. “I couldn’t sleep nights because the pain was so bad.”
When the injections no longer controlled her pain, she knew a knee replacement was her only option. Considering the success of David’s surgery, trusting Dr. Sybesma to replace her knee at Lakeland was the clear choice. Following the surgery, Susan remained on the Ortho/ Neuro Unit at Lakeland Medical Center, St. Joseph for three days — David stayed with her in her room, too.
“We had the same nurses during my three-day stay, so there was continuity of care, and for me, that’s very, very important,” Susan said.
With the aid of “fantastic nurses,” dedicated physical therapists, and a titanium-reinforced knee, Susan was walking up small stairs the evening after her surgery. At her two-week checkup, Dr. Sybesma judged her to be at the six-month healing point.
Staying local for their surgeries meant the Ratajiks could benefit from the support of their church community. “Our adult children live far away — our church is our extended family,” Susan explained. Frequent visitors — both at the hospital and at home — provided a strong support system for the couple.
Two months after her surgery, Susan described her pain as manageable, and she continues to heal. She is now able to walk to her deck overlooking the beach, volunteer at her church, and enjoy David’s concerts.
“I never considered going out of the area because David had such good results with Dr. Sybesma — we felt we wanted to stay with him,” Susan said. “He was confident that he could take care of us; we knew he was the right man to go to, and that Lakeland was the place where we wanted to be.”
Learn more about the Ratajiks' journey back to living a life they love in the video below: