Jenna ’s story: How two surgeons changed her path in life

“Your daughter was a very sick little girl.” Those were the first words that came out of Dr. Peter Waters’ mouth as he addressed my parents in the waiting room of Boston Children’s Hospital, back in 1999. They had been anxiously waiting, wondering and worrying about my condition. “Will they get it all?” “Will she be the same?” “Will she survive?” All of these questions occupied the minds of my parents as they sat waiting for their two-year-old daughter to come out of emergency surgery. A life-saving procedure …it’s what now inspires me to want to become a doctor myself” Dr. Waters, the Orthopedic Surgeon-in-Chief and Director of the Hand and Upper Extremity Program at Boston Children’s, told my parents that all of the pain, fever and swelling that had taken over their cheerful toddler was due to septic arthritis. The infection had started at some point within my body, traveled through the bloodstream and eventually lodged itself in my left shoulder joint. It was a rare occurrence, and he told them they were very lucky, that waiting much longer could have led to a much more tragic situation. My parents thanked Dr. Waters and also thanked God for keeping me alive. I would end up staying at Boston Children’s for a week, on heavy-duty IV antibiotics to eradicate any recurrence of the infection. Today, I have a small scar under my left arm that is a permanent reminder of the horror my parents felt that week. It’s a testament to the hours of...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Our Patients’ Stories Division of Sports Medicine Dr. Lyle Micheli Dr. Peter Waters Hand and Orthopedic Upper Extremity Program Orthopedic Center Septic arthritis Source Type: news