There was no doubt in Sheryl Asbury's mind that she would have her knee replacement surgery performed at the Kettering Joint Center. Not just because she's a registered nurse who works on the orthopedic floor at Kettering. She chose Kettering because she knows first hand how skilled and dedicated the orthopedic team is.

"I would recommend all the surgeons there," she explains. "The physical therapists are wonderful, too, as are the nurses - something I could appreciate even more from my perspective as a patient."

Before her surgery, Asbury's knee bothered her so much that she limped constantly and had trouble walking down the hall at work. She couldn't walk her dog or get down on the floor to play with her grandchildren - things she loves to do.

Like every patient, Asbury attended an educational session before her surgery. She compliments the staff on how well they explained everything, from presurgical exercises and pain management to safety tips like removing scatter rugs she could trip on when she returned home. "The patient education is one of the greatest things they do," she says.

Asbury's surgeon used a nerve block - medication that's injected into the joint area - to control her pain so she could get up and start moving as soon as possible aft er surgery. She quickly progressed to a few weeks of physical therapy and, within a month, traveled to Florida by herself with no problems. She could even get in and out of her Corvette, which she drives in competitive autocross events, to get to physical therapy.

After 12 weeks Asbury was back at work, full of new insights she could share with patients. "I can really tell them how the experience will be," she says. "And I honestly feel like I have a new lease on life. I can ride bikes with my granddaughter and do the things I enjoy again."