05 Aug From The Patient: Tracy Brewer

Tracy Brewer moved to Middle Tennessee with dreams of building a life of farming and gardening on the 20 acres that she purchased with her husband. But complications from a broken leg injury kept her from being able to work on the farm and also made her career as a hairstylist almost impossible.

“I was in a lot of pain,” said Tracy. “My leg had never fully healed correctly, and it made standing on my feet all day for my clients very difficult and I also lost my desire to be outside in the garden.”

Tracy had undergone two previous surgeries both of which had required multiple screws and caused her to have to take months off of work. Neither surgery had corrected the issue as her leg kept sliding out of place. Tracy was left with broken screws, a deformed leg and constant pain.

“My high pain tolerance and strong work ethic kept me going, but I had almost given up hope of my leg ever healing,” said Tracy. “Even though I had gotten used to dealing with the pain, my colleague pushed me to seek another opinion and suggested Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee.”

Shortly after that, Tracy scheduled an appointment with Dr. Geoff Watson. Though she had little hope, Dr. Watson immediately felt confident that he could fix the issue. They scheduled a surgery for December with Tracy determined to be back at work by the beginning of March.

During the surgery, Dr. Watson removed the broken screws, realigned the bones in her leg and inserted a rod to correct the break. Tracy then began the road to recovery with Dr. Watson’s guidance.

“I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Watson and his PA, Hayley,” said Tracy. “They walked me through everything, so I knew what to expect, and were available in case we needed any help during my recovery.”

Slowly but surely, Tracy began to make progress. Dr. Watson had advised her to let pain be her guide adding that walking would promote healing in the bone. To everyone’s amazement, including Dr. Watson’s, Tracy was able to get back to work in early March just as she had hoped.

“I think it was a combination of my determination along with Dr. Watson’s skill and confidence in his ability to do the procedure that propelled my recovery,” added Tracy.

After completing her postoperative evaluation and initial recovery, Tracy’s outlook on life has completely changed.

“It’s truly a miracle. Dr Watson and his team have made it so that I am able to live my life now,” said Tracy. “I can walk outside and work in my garden without fear of pain. My leg looks great and I feel even better.”

With her dreams now restored, Tracy is enjoying her days in the hair salon and out on the farm and continues to sing the praises of Bone and Joint Institute to anyone who will listen.