A Poster Child for Shoulder Surgery
- Author: Kim Shank Zehner
- Date Submitted: Aug 3, 2017
“She respected that I was in pain. She cares about you, and the result is a well-recovered patient."
When Kim Shank Zehner’s shoulder pain continued to get worse, her husband recommended she see Dr. Monica Morman in Gillette, Wyoming.
“He said our personalities would mesh,” she said. “We were both from Texas, so we could relate to each other.”
Kim had a procedure to repair a tear in her rotator cuff last April, followed by a year of physical therapy. Recently retired, she had been a housekeeper for 24 years, and also worked at Home Depot and JoAnn’s, jobs where she used her upper body and hands extensively.
She felt very comfortable with Dr. Morman and joked that she was a “poster child” for rotator cuff surgery because she followed the doctor’s instructions to the letter.
“Medicine has really transitioned from a paternal approach to a much more of a team process”, said Dr. Morman. “A partnership between patient and physician produces more commitment from the patient and a better outcome from surgery.”
According to Kim, when she talks to other people who have had similar procedures, you can hear the admiration in their voices when they speak about Dr. Morman. When it’s time for her husband’s shoulder replacement, he will see Dr. Morman, too.
“She respected that I was in pain,” said Kim. She cares about you, and the result is a well-recovered patient.
Kim is completely recovered from her surgery and now volunteers nine-12 hours a week at The Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center, helping with arts and crafts projects and going on shopping trips for the residents.
Monica Morman, MD, FAAOS, CAQSH, is a board certified orthopedic surgeon, specializing in hand, arm and shoulder surgeries. She treats several conditions of the upper extremities including carpal tunnel, shoulder and elbow replacements, arm fractures, adhesive capsulitis and more.
