“I would not have considered going anyplace else but BMC”
Years ago, Drew DeMarsico went to Berkshire Orthopaedics Associates for what he thought was a torn meniscus. The diagnosis was confirmed, but came with more serious news.
“I was told my knee was worn out and that it needed replacement,” Drew recalls. He decided to fight joint replacement surgery for as long as possible. “My doctor told me that when the time was right to get my knee done, I would know it.”
That day came in mid-2015, when he could no longer deal with the constant pain. “I had lost the value of my life,” he said. “I didn’t go anywhere or do anything. I lived on Tylenol. The last six months were horrid. I couldn’t walk in the woods because the ground was uneven. If I drove for more than an hour, I couldn’t walk. I just couldn’t live like that anymore.”
Drew’s orthopaedic surgeon, Anthony DeFelice, MD, scheduled knee replacement surgery and Drew entered Berkshire Medical Center’s joint replacement program, which was named one of American’s 100 Best Hospitals in 2015 for Joint Replacement by Healthgrades.
“I went into the hospital on May 12, and from the receptionist who greeted me to every last person involved with my care, my experience at BMC was incredible. Everyone was a true professional. It was awesome.”
For the first two weeks following surgery, Drew followed his surgeon’s recommendations for pain management. “But I was on Tylenol from then on,” he said. “By the fifth week, I had no pain at all.” At that point, and with his surgeon’s approval, Drew was also driving again.
Drew was an excellent patient, faithfully committing to daily exercises in addition to daily physical therapy. BMC’s joint replacement program includes a team of expert surgeons and a comprehensive team of professionals trained specifically to care for joint replacement patients. Beginning with patient education and physical therapy before surgery, and with state-of-the-art pain management, surgical techniques, rehabilitation and home care, patients are realizing excellent outcomes.
“The way they did things, and how they treated me – it was so kind and competent,” Drew continued. “They got me up and moving shortly after surgery and they kept me moving. Dr. DeFelice is passionate and very courteous. He is someone I trusted immediately. He is also very strict about his patients’ recovery. I wanted to go back to work at seven weeks, but he said no. I felt Dr. DeFelice wanted me to have the best result possible. I’ve thanked Dr. DeFelice for giving me my life back, because that’s what I feel he did.”
Drew is something of a fixture at BMC. He has been a member of the hospital’s engineering department for 26 years and is seen all over the hospital, painting, hanging wallpaper, and working on all of BMC’s renovations projects.
He’s also well-known in the community for organizing, with his wife Patricia, the DeMarsico Polenta-Venison-Chicken Dinner Dances that have collectively raised more than $120,000 over the last 11 years for BMC and its efforts to promote cancer screenings throughout the community.
“I know all of the people who work in this hospital and I had all the faith in the world in every one of them” he said. “I would not have considered going anyplace else for this surgery except BMC.”
