Bethlehem Woman Grateful for Expert Orthopedic Care

While enjoying a ‘welcome home’ reunion with her spirited 2-year-old, 120-pound pup, Alita, last October, Joan Holtman slipped on a wet spot on her garage floor and fell hard onto her hip.

"I went down and could not get back up.”

Her daughter, Dina, who lives with Holtman, found her and called 911 for an ambulance.

The mishap landed Holtman, of Bethlehem, in St. Luke’s Anderson Campus with two fractures where her femur and hip bone connect. The femur is the longest bone in the body.

She required orthopedic surgery to repair her injury.  

A regional leader in orthopedic medical and surgical care, education and research, St. Luke’s employs exceptional orthopedic doctors who offer the latest innovations and advances in bone and joint care.

Orthopedic trauma and foot and ankle surgeon James Lachman, MD, of St. Luke’s Orthopedic Care, surgically repaired Holtman’s femur and hip using a rod and screws to stabilize them.  He notes that the seven-physician team of orthopedic surgeons at St. Luke’s Anderson Campus treat about 300 of these common fractures each year.  

“I was very fortunate to have the support of Dr. Lachman,” says Holtman.  "After surgery, he told me that my recovery would be ‘a marathon, not a sprint.’”

“I am so grateful for his expertise and care. I had no infections, no complications."

Adds Dr. Lachman, “Joan was an ideal patient as she is very active and highly motivated.”

After her stay at St. Luke’s Anderson Campus, Holtman was transferred to inpatient rehab at the St. Luke’s Acute Rehabilitation Center in Bethlehem to help her regain her strength, function and mobility.

"The staff were all very encouraging and helped me feel motivated," she says. "I was able to perform all of the basic functions in less than a week and was discharged."

Back home, pain-free and feeling stronger, Holtman first used a walker and then a cane to get around. She started physical therapy at Physical Therapy at St. Luke’s – Easton (Anderson Campus) shortly after returning home, working with physical therapist, Thomas Sadler, DPT and physical therapy assistant, Lauren Kramer, PTA.

“Joan’s high focus to return to her prior injured status was evident in every physical therapy session she had with us at the Anderson Campus,” says Sadler. “There were no barriers to her progression. 

Kramer added, “Each visit was nothing but further advancement. It was a true pleasure to work with her during her recovery.”

"I was done with the walker and cane six or seven weeks following my surgery. I drove myself to physical therapy appointments twice a week and was back working full time in December," she says. She continues to work full time and takes care of her home and her dog.

"I was so fortunate that so many things came together in the right way. It allowed me to optimize my healing," she says. “In a minute your life can change, but I couldn’t let this injury derail me. I refuse to be dependent."

Fully healed, Holtman continues to focus on her health and has big plans for her “elegant and powerful” Alita, as she trains her to be a good citizen dog, and eventually a show dog.