Millcreek Township woman thrives after losing 180 pounds, undergoing 4 joint replacements

Karen Newell's body ached so badly that she had to stop and rest just walking the 23 steps from her bedroom to the bathroom.

Climbing stairs was so difficult that Newell, 58, limited her trips upstairs at her Millcreek Township home to just one a day.

"I had to lean forward and go up using my hands, like a gorilla," Newell said. "I went upstairs just at bedtime. Any time I needed something from upstairs, I'd just ask (her husband) Tom."

Decades of being overweight had taken its toll on Newell's back, knees and hips. As recently as a year ago, standing for more than a few seconds was torture and walking short distances left her out of breath and fatigued.

But an injectable weight-loss drug and four joint-replacement surgeries have helped Newell regain her health. She goes on walks, bikes up to 18 miles and visits amusement parks with her grandchildren.

"I'm even gardening for the first time ever," Newell said. "I had to learn what deadheading was, but Tom explained it to me."

Health improvements started with Mounjaro, then joint surgeries

Newell's journey to better health started in November 2022 when one of her doctors prescribed Mounjaro, an injectable drug used to manage type 2 diabetes and control weight. She had been diagnosed with prediabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

The drug did what two bariatric surgeries could not accomplish. Newell lost nearly half of her body weight over the next 12 months, dropping down to around 205.

"I was so thankful, but it didn't really help with my pain," Newell said. "I still couldn't stand for very long without pain shooting down my legs."

Newell visited a back specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, who told her that she needed both hips and knees replaced before undergoing any type of back surgery.

She then met with Dr. Robert Lupo, a Saint Vincent Hospital orthopedic surgeon. Lupo said Newell needed replacement surgery immediately for all four joints.

"Karen was using a wheelchair and really couldn't walk," Lupo said. "She couldn't straighten out her knees or flex her hips. Her joints were destroyed."

Surgeons recommended getting all four joints replaced within six months

Lupo recommended something rare, replacing both hips and both knees within six months. It meant starting with one hip, then replacing both knees at the same time, before finishing with the other hip.

Surgeons prefer that a patient who requires multiple joint replacements heal completely from one surgery before undergoing another one. But Lupo said the damage was so severe that she needed all four joints replaced in order to rehabilitate fully.

"In a patient who needed all four joints replaced, this was as bad as I have seen," Lupo said. "I had never seen so much crippling arthritis and all four joints needed to be done as soon as possible."

Newell had her right hip replaced in September at Saint Vincent, followed by both knees just before Christmas and her left hip in March.

Because Lupo used minimally invasive procedures with the Mako Robotic Arm, the surgeon said Newell was able to recover more quickly from each surgery.

"We don't have to cut through any muscle, so the patient recovers faster in those first six weeks," Lupo said. "That was especially important for Karen because she had those knee replacements soon after her first hip was done."

Newell able to stand in kitchen and make lasagna with grandchildren

Newell really noticed a difference after the first hip surgery and the two knee replacements. She was able to stand for longer periods of time with much less pain.

"The knee surgeries were on Dec. 20 and by Dec. 31 I was standing in my kitchen making lasagna with my granddaughters," Newell said. "But I was also icing my knees a lot, and that felt wonderful. The doctor's office even gave me a device that circulated ice water around my knees."

After the second hip was replaced, Newell began walking. She started at a mile and soon felt well enough to go for longer distances.

Six weeks after the final surgery, Newell walked past the house of her newest neighbor — Dr. Lupo.

"I was outside, taking out the trash or something, and I see this woman walking up a steep hill with a baby stroller," Lupo said. "Then I hear 'Hi, Dr. Lupo' and it was Karen. Six weeks after surgery and she was walking up a steep hill with a stroller, just as happy as could be."

Neighborhood walks were just the start. Tom Newell bought his wife an adult tricycle, followed by a regular bicycle and an electronic bike that allows them to ride all the way to Presque Isle State Park.

No more blood-pressure medicine, cholesterol levels lowered

All the exercise has reduced Newell's blood pressure, allowing her to stop taking medicine to control it. She also has seen her cholesterol levels decline.

Besides walking and bike riding, Newell also is more involved in family activities, including shopping trips and visits to amusement parks.

"We can do things together now, instead of me just doing things on my own," Tom Newell said. "She no longer wakes up in pain, dreading the day."

Newell credits Lupo and the surgeries for helping her restart her life. Energy seems to radiate out of her as she shares her story, moving around her kitchen and gesturing as she talks.

She's also making plans, which include lots of physical activity.

"He goes kayaking, which I'm afraid of doing. But I'll ride the bike. We want to go on a 100-mile bike trip down in the Florida Keys," she said.

Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com . Follow him on X @ETNBruce .

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Millcreek Township woman thrives after losing 180 pounds, undergoing 4 joint replacements