Brennaman Thanks Dr. Mohab Foad

January 28, 2016

It’s a rare week when I don’t see a Reds game in person but Marty and I did watch or listen to just about every pitch.  Unfortunately, we didn’t miss much except what seems to be new ways to lose a game.  From a fielding error by the pitcher to a grand slam with 2 outs in the 7th, the Reds haven’t been much fun to watch.

Amanda being discharged after knee surgery.

Marty was scheduled to be off during this current home stand but he took the Philadephia series off as well because I needed to have arthroscopic knee surgery last Tuesday.  Nothing serious was wrong with my knee just some loose cartilage that was causing pain when I walked.  A very simple procedure but when you have some of the best orthopedic surgeons in the country just down the street you trust your care to the,.  Beacon Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine was the only place I considered for my procedure.

My surgeon, Dr. Tim Kremchek, is a name that many Reds fans should recognize.  Dr. Kremchek is in his 19th season as the Reds Medical Director and Chief Orthopedic Surgeon.  I had a chance to talk with Tim about how he became the team doctor and how Beacon grew to be recognized as one of the top sports medicine facilities in the country.  Tim is a baseball fan and did his residency in Boston.  Fenway Park was a regular stop for Tim and while many of his fellow doctors wanted to specialize in cancer treatments, Tim knew he wanted to focus on sports and baseball medicine.  Upon completion he came back to his hometown of Cincinnati and knew he wanted to be the Reds team doctor.  He arranged to talk with then Reds COO John Allen and GM Jim Bowden.  Tim convinced them he would provide a level of care and accessibility that they had not had in teh past.  Tim attended most of the home games and developed close relationships with players like Barry Larkin and Kevin Mitchell.  Barry was a patient for numerous surgeries.

Then came 2000 and the arrival of Ken Griffey Jr.  As we al know, Junior’s time in Cincinnati was plagued by countless injuries.  Dr. Kremchek was the man in charge of getting Junior ready for baseball.  Junior trusted Tim and told many of his colleagues with other teams about the good results he received.  Business started booming and Tim and his partners recognized a need to have a one stop facility for the professional athlete as well as the weekend warriors.  Thanks to Beacon Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine the top athletes and regular folks like you and me can be diagnosed with an on-site MRI machine, see a specialist, have surgery performed, and do rehab all without going to a conventional hospital.

Dad on the operating table at Beacon Orthopaedics

Unfortunately, Beacon doesn’t provide a family discount on their surgeries.  Last Thursday my dad, Gary Ingram, had both of his hands operated on for carpal tunnel surgery.  Dr. Mohab Foad, a specialist in hand and upper extremities, performed his surgery in about 15 minutes.  Marty, my mom and I all watched the procedure from a viewing room.  Marty also was able to watch my surgery.  Jonda Prather, Director of Patient Relations, walked us through the procedure step by step and we all hoped my dad would finally get some relief from almost constant hand pain.  The pain was so much worse at night with a painful burning sensation that has prevented him from sleeping through the night in at least ten years.  It had gotten to the point where he could not sleep in a bad and has spent the last 5 years sleeping in a reclienr.

Obviously, he had put off hand surgery for way too long, but that was because of all the horror stories he heard from friends who had carpal tunnel surgery that experienced nerve damage etc. and were actually in worse shape after the surgery.

My dad had his surgery at 3:00pm and then walked out of the surgery center around 4:00pm with bandages on each hand that he was able to remove on Saturday.  He had full use of his fingers and thankfully, has slept soundly every night in his bed.  It has made all the difference in the world and Dad’s best piece of advice is not to have surgery done by a quack.  We all can attest Dr. Mohab Foad and the folks at Beacon Orthopaedics are anything but quacks.

I will be off the DL this week and we will both be back with the team when they go on the road to Chicago and Detroit.

Until next time,

Amanda Ingram Brennaman