Long before Janice Runner was a Runner, she was Fast; seriously. Prior to becoming married, Janice Runner was Janice Fast so upon her wedding day, she became Janice Fast Runner.

 

“With a name like that, I’ve got to keep up with it,” Runner joked.

 

Unfortunately for Runner, health issues have prevented her from doing just that. For nearly the last 10 years – just prior to moving to Bridgeport nine years ago – Janice Runner found herself with such a problematic knee that some of her greatest joys in life were being jeopardized. And a decade after those problems first began, the pain started becoming unbearable.

 

“Initially, my knee would swell, start hurting and then it would go away. It would repeat that until it just started hurting all the time,” said Runner. “It’s now to the point where you have to step carefully, you wake up in the middle of the night with stabbing pain and sometimes it just throbs.”

 

The pain has stopped runner from doing some of the active things she likes to do. She has difficulty bicycling and she struggles to go on walks and hikes with her three grandchildren who are 7, 11 and 15 years of age. It also has seriously curtailed the 63-year-old from volunteering to help others; something she took great joy in doing.

 

In a nutshell, Janice Runner was losing her quality of life. And she knew it four years ago when a trip to the Manchin Clinic confirmed her fears.

 

“They looked at my knees, one of which is much worse, and that said the knee was bone on bone and I had osteoporosis arthritis,” said Runner. “Without insurance or the funds to get the surgery, my only choice was to keep going. You just can’t stop because it hurts, but eventually every step hurt.”

 

To compound her situation, three years ago – three days prior to Christmas – Runner said her husband committed suicide. Needless to say, the world seemed to be pressing against Runner and, considering her situation, a break certainly would have seemed to be in order.

 

And that’s just what happened.

 

With the pain at the worst levels, Runner was eventually referred to Dr. David Waxman, MD., who operates in Bridgeport out of the United Hospital Center.  On Sept. 26, an appointment that started out like so many others during her painful ordeal would end up ending like no other.

 

“He x-rayed my knee and checked my range of mobility and he knew that I didn’t have the insurance to pay for a knee replacement surgery,” Runner said. “Out of the blue he told me that he wanted to call Morgantown because he has an office there as well and he thought I would be a good candidate for this program that could take care of the surgery.”

 

The program was Operation Walk USA,an independent medical humanitarian organization that provides free hip or knee replacement surgeries to patients in states nationwide. The program aids those without insurance or the ability to pay with the hopes to restore mobility and quality of life.

                                                                                                                                                                                

“I went home and looked it up and saw it on the internet,” Runner said.  “My mouth about dropped and hit the floor.”

 

In very short order, staff from the West Virginia University Healthcare Center for Joint Replacement, where Waxman also works, called Runner. She filled out paperwork and, a week later, she was approved.

 

“Just like that, I was approved. I can’t tell you how happy I am,” said Runner. “I’m pre-registered and ready to go.”

 

And Runner won’t be going alone. As part of Operation Walk USA, running Dec. 2 through Dec. 7 nationally, Runner will be in Morgantown on Dec. 6 with five other individuals. The half dozen individuals will receive various surgeries free of charge from six doctors under the WVU Healthcare Center for Joint Replacement banner. Matthew Dietz, MD; Benjamin Frye, MD; Adam Klein, MD; Brock Lindsey, MD; Barry McDonough, MD; and Waxman will do the work on that day.

 

It was Dr. Frye that actually helped bring the program to Morgantown and West Virginia. According to  Cyndi Drummond, RN, BSN, a Bridgeport resident who works at the WVU Healthcare Center for Joint Replacement, Frye did his fellowship under New Albany, Ohio orthopedic surgeon Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., MD. As it turned out, Lombardi is the president of Operation Walk USA. 

 

 

“When Dr. Frye committed that he was coming back here from his fellowship, he wanted to get (Operation Walk USA) going here. For the last six months I’ve been working with Dr. Frye on getting this to happen and it’s going to happen next month,” said Drummond.

 

 

So why six people?

 

“We have six surgeons that do joint replacement surgeries. Dr. Waxman is one of the doctors and Mrs. Runner is one of the patients,” said Drummond.

 

Waxman is pleased to be taking part.

 

“For people with advanced arthritis of the hip or knee, total hip and total knee replacement  surgeries have been great procedures to relieve pain and improve patient quality of life. For years we have provided these services to the people who need them at both UHC and WVU,” said Waxman. “Operation Walk is a nice program for the public to know about the services that we have and continue to donate for people in need.”

 

For Drummond, who has been a nurse for two decades, the program has already proved beneficial to her well before the surgeries have even taken place. It made her feel good about the work she does.

 

“When Mrs. Runner said to me you’re about to change my life and she was crying, it made me realize why I went into nursing 20 years ago. When you work so long, you get in a rut and sometimes wonder why you’re doing what you’re doing,” said Drummond. “That comment made everything over all of those years worthwhile.”

 

The even better news is that Drummond said the plan is to do the program annually. And the hope is that she’ll be able to see others regain their quality of life.

 

“How amazing is it to hear that she wants to get better to be able to do things with her grandsons,” said Drummond. “She’s certainly a wonderful woman.”

 

Along with more time with her grandkids, it will allow Runner to work at her summer job to help make ends meet. Once she gets through her physical therapy – which has been donated by Mike Martin and Bridgeport Physical Therapy – she plans on attacking life again full throttle. She’s grateful the possibility of that happening is more than just a dream; it’s a reality.

 

“I am so thankful for my (Bridgeport Free Methodist) Church family. I will have a community of people praying for me. This has truly been an answer to prayer for me,” Runner said. “I appreciate all of the people that will be making this surgery possible and for Operation Walk USA. Everyone has been so nice. I’m so excited.”

 

Janice Runner will soon be “Fast” again. Dr. Waxman, WVU, Mike Martin and Operation Walk USA will make sure of that.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo is of Janice Runner, while Dr. David Waxman is shown in the middle photo, which is courtesy of United Hospital Center. Physical Therapist Mike Martin is pictured below.