Extreme Wakeboarder Ups His Game After Sports Injuries

Professional athletes train harder and play their game much more intense than the average weekend warrior. So it’s no surprise that sometimes they get injured. But for an athlete, when an injury arises, the athlete needs to take care of it quickly and efficiently to get back in the game. To do so professional athletes turn to sports medicine specialists who have the knowledge and expertise to help them recover and resume training and competing.

This is true for Sacramento extreme wakeboarder and coach, 32-year old Brodie Chaboya. Brodie is part of the national-level Hyperlite Wakeboards Legion Team. In addition he manages NorCal Hyperlite men’s team and is a coach and owner of Launch Wakeboarding. Brody has wakeboarded all over the world from Sacramento, Washington and Florida to Wake Park World in the Philippines, a wakeboard mecca for wakeboarders of all abilities. He is on the water every day training and practicing his spin and flips or teaching these moves to others.

When Brodie tore his ACL in 2004, he turned to orthopedic surgeon Alan Hirahara, M.D., with Sutter Orthopedic Institute. Dr. Hirahara performed surgery to repair Brodie’s ACL, a ligament crucial to knee stability. He also sent Brodie to a more intense regime of physical therapy, knowing as an athlete Brodie had the strength for this type of therapy, and also knowing Brodie needed to get back to his sports activities as quickly as possible. Brodie says he was back to wakeboarding within five months as opposed to the normal 10 month recuperation period.

Brodie turned to Sutter Orthopedic Institute’s foot and ankle specialist, Masoud (Max) Ghalambor, M.D., in 2010 after injuring his fibula, a narrow bone that extends from the knee to the ankle. Dr. Ghalambor put Brodie in a walking cast for healing. Within four months Brodie was back on the wakeboard, managing the NorCal Hyperlite team and coaching at his wakeboard school.

“You can’t let injuries deter you,” said Brodie.  “You’ve got to find a physician who knows how to deal with serious athletes so you can get back into training and competing. Especially if you love your sport like I do. Each time I was able to get back in the water and up my game.”

New Knee Gives Armchair Traveler Walking Ease

Invited to the Cinque Terre region in Italy for a wedding, Mary Helen Fein and her husband, Stuart Clancy, found themselves resting in a stairwell leading to the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. Mary Helen, who was experiencing the sharp pain of bone on bone in her right knee, had to take a break. She and Stuart rested frequently as they made their way up the eight flights of stairs to see the Chapel.

Mary Helen, who loves to travel, suffered constant knee pain throughout her trip. Many of the towns in Italy, such as Siena, prohibit cars. Mary Helen and Stuart parked outside each city and walked to the town and continued walking to see the sights.  Using a metal “chair” that folded into a cane, she’d walk a few minutes with the cane, unfold it and rest on the chair, then continue the process again and again.

“I wasn’t going to miss anything,” said Mary Helen.

Back in Auburn her family medicine physician Gerry Lee, M.D., with Sutter Medical Group, referred Mary Helen to orthopedic surgeon Jeff Bergeson, M.D.  Dr. Bergeson recommended a total knee replacement and scheduled the surgery. He outlined the surgical process using a model of a knee to explain the joint replacement procedure.

Mary Helen, a native of the New York area and used to large city hospitals and the technology they provide, read up on Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital in Consumer Reports. When she learned Sutter Auburn Faith carries an “A” rating – the very best rating—she felt confident in moving forward with the knee replacement surgery.

Dr. Bergeson sent Mary Helen to the Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital pre-operative joint replacement class where she learned about nutrition, pain management, the transition from hospital to home, and the importance of rehabilitation services in the recovery process.

Once the surgery was completed, a physical therapist met Mary Helen in her hospital room and helped her out of bed to try her new knee. “I felt so safe with her, “said Mary Helen. “When you first get on your feet nothing works the same and it’s a little scary.”

Mary Helen walked a few steps with a walker the first day of surgery and walked further the next two days she was at the hospital.  At home a home health nurse and a physical therapist worked with her, too. Mary Helen soon graduated from a walker to a cane and finally walked without any aide. She continued physical therapy at a local outpatient physical therapy office.

Today her knee is 100 percent healed.  “I’ve got the knee of a 12-year old, it’s strong and amazing,” Mary Helen said. “The new knee has given me my quality of life back.” Happily, this means more travel for Mary Helen and Stuart.