Finding the Confidence to Move Forward Again: David Beckley’s Story

For David Beckley, deciding to have another knee surgery wasn’t simple.

At 66, David had already been through more with his knees than most. Years earlier, a knee replacement was followed by a serious infection, additional surgery, months of treatment, and ultimately an earlier retirement than he had planned.

Even after the infection was gone, something still wasn’t right.

His left knee continued to hurt, sometimes without warning and even when he hadn’t been on his feet.

David described the pain simply: “It felt like somebody stuck a screwdriver in my kneecap.”

After years of living with knee problems, David wanted more than temporary answers. He wanted to understand why he was hurting, and whether something could actually be done about it.

David was eventually referred to Dr. Brian Cohen, where additional testing helped provide answers about what was happening inside his knee.

For David, understanding the problem was important. But after everything he had experienced before, so was knowing that his concerns were being taken seriously.

He appreciated that Dr. Cohen reviewed his history, explained his findings, answered questions, and took extra precautions because of David’s previous infection.

“Every time he came in, I didn’t feel like he was rushed,” David said.

That communication helped David feel comfortable moving forward.

He had also seen the experience firsthand. David’s wife had previously trusted Dr. Cohen with her own knee replacement. After watching the care she received, David knew where he wanted to go when it was his turn.

“The experience for her was so good,” he said. “I wouldn’t go anywhere else.”

David’s previous infection wasn’t treated like a footnote in his medical history.

It helped shape his plan of care.

Following surgery, David stayed in the hospital for two days so he could receive IV antibiotics. Once the reason was explained to him, he understood exactly why the additional precaution mattered.

“He covered all the bases,” David said.

That attention to detail extended beyond the procedure itself. David remembers feeling comfortable from check-in through his hospital stay and says the entire team made him feel valued.

From the nursing staff and assistants to the people helping his family navigate the process, David described the experience as “white glove treatment.”

“I just felt really valued there.”

Today, the difference in David’s left knee is significant.

“My pain in my left leg is like non-existent,” he said.

But for David, the change goes beyond a pain scale.

“I think even mentally I feel like a whole different person now,” he shared.

After years of struggling with his knees, David can move his left leg in ways he says he hasn’t been able to in a decade.

“I haven’t felt like this in a long, long time.”

That progress has also changed the way he thinks about the future.

David still has pain and limited mobility in his right knee, and he plans to have that knee treated when the timing is right. His goal isn’t to turn back the clock. It’s much more personal than that.

“If you can do this right one, what we just did with the left one, I’m back in business,” David said. “It’s not going to make me 45 again, but at least I can walk.”

For David, being able to walk comfortably isn’t simply about getting from one place to another.

It’s about his family.

David and his wife have three children, including their daughter Katie, who lives with them and loves volunteering with young children at a local school. He’s also a grandfather, and spending meaningful time with his grandchildren is one of the biggest reasons he wants to keep moving.

There have been times when family activities came with a difficult question: Would Grandpa be able to walk that far?

Trips to places like the zoo could mean worrying about whether his knees would keep up.

David wants that to change.

“Hopefully it’s a whole lot [more years], because I want to watch my grandkids grow up,” he said. “But I also want to be able to interact with them.”

That’s what moving better means to David.

It’s taking his daughter where she needs to go. It’s getting out with his wife and family. It’s keeping up with his grandchildren. It’s being able to say yes to the experiences that matter without immediately wondering whether his knees will allow it.

After everything David had been through, trusting another surgeon with his knee could have been difficult.

Instead, having his concerns heard, his history carefully considered, and his treatment clearly explained gave him confidence in his care.

Today, David says he wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Dr. Cohen, and he plans to return when he’s ready to address his right knee.

For patients who have lived with pain for years, or who may be hesitant because of a difficult experience in the past, David’s story offers an important reminder:

Your past experience deserves to be heard. Your questions deserve answers. And your goals should be part of the conversation.

Because patient-first orthopedic care isn’t only about fixing what hurts.

It’s about understanding where you’ve been, where you want to go, and helping you move forward with confidence.