By writer to www.thurstontalk.com
Submitted by Mason Health
Okayristyn Criss, RN, remembers it prefer it was yesterday. Throughout a soccer recreation at age 15, she collided with one other participant on the sphere. The ensuing knee accidents included a torn ACL and a number of other tears to her meniscus.
Criss quickly started a sequence of surgical procedures that may finally put on on her each mentally and bodily. First, in 1999, a hamstring autograft failed six weeks after surgical procedure. She underwent one other surgical procedure to take away broken tissue from the joint. Then, a 12 months later, she endured a 3rd surgical procedure to restore the broken tendon. Her preliminary restoration and rehabilitation went properly, however over the subsequent a number of years, she developed worsening ache, instability, and total dysfunction of her knee.
5 years later, residing in Alaska together with her toddler daughter, Criss was fairly pissed off together with her ongoing knee points and lack of progress towards returning to an energetic way of life. Struggling to know precisely what was incorrect together with her leg, Criss underwent her fourth knee surgical procedure. It was throughout this surgical procedure that the orthopedist found issues that have been inflicting extra injury to surrounding ligaments, fully shredding her meniscus.
After a sequence of consultations with extra specialists, one really useful that she right the issue with an allograft and referred her to an orthopedist who specialised in ACL reconstruction utilizing donated tissue. She was skeptical, realizing little or no about tissue donation on the time, however Criss underwent her fifth and last surgical procedure in 2005, hopeful that an allograft would assist lastly heal her knee. The surgical procedure utilized an allograft supplied by LifeNet Well being, the one full-service tissue financial institution within the Pacific Northwest, which additionally companions with Mason Well being to help its tissue donation program.
The transplant was a hit, and Criss has had solely minimal points since then – with no signal of the persistent ones that she feared would hamper her whereas working and elevating 4 youngsters. Tissue donation modified Criss’s life for the higher. It additionally modified her perspective on serving to others, significantly younger, feminine athletes, who’re amongst those that mostly needing surgical procedure to restore knee and different leg accidents.
Immediately, greater than 15 years since receiving her donation, Criss is as energetic as ever — mountaineering, kayaking, paddle boarding, and backpacking together with her children and serving because the group photographer for her son’s soccer group. She additionally stays busy on her ft as an RN Workforce Supervisor at Mason Well being in Mason Normal Hospital’s Emergency Division. Criss, who’s finding out to advance her diploma to nurse practitioner, is captivated with supporting the method of tissue donation when attainable.
Her colleagues see in her story the facility of tissue donation to carry therapeutic to sufferers.
“The choice of whether or not to turn out to be an organ and tissue donor is likely one of the biggest presents one may give,” mentioned Melissa Robust, Chief Nursing Officer at Mason Well being. “One donor can dramatically impression the lives of greater than 150 individuals for the higher. Tissue and organ donation can profit sufferers in quite a few severe or life-threatening medical conditions, together with saving sufferers with extreme burns and permitting athletes with torn ligaments or tendons to heal and regain power, as with the case of our very personal Kristyn Criss.”
With the angle from her journey, Criss can now assist others by means of theirs – and together with the group at Mason Well being, can share her private expertise of how the reward of tissue donation restores well being and offers hope.
“I’m so lucky that I‘ve been capable of take part in the entire actions that I used to be anxious I might by no means have the ability to, and tissue donation has given me new perspective on find out how to assist others,” Criss mentioned.
To be taught extra about tissue donation, go to https://www.lifenethealth.org.
Mason Well being, Public Hospital District No. 1 of Mason County, is licensed by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and is a licensed and accredited acute care hospital with a stage 4 emergency trauma designation. There are greater than 100 physicians on workers in 19 specialties. Mason Well being now gives 3D Mammography Companies. For extra data on 3D mammograms or to discover a well being care supplier, go to www.MasonGeneral.com.
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