Patient Testimonial – Paul Merlack

After a lifetime spent in motion, from catching behind home plate in high school baseball, to flying F-15s in the Air Force for 22 years, to a 40-year aviation career with United Airlines, slowing down was never part of his plan. Living just north of Marion with his wife of 23 years, Susan, he loved staying active, driving his Silverado around town, picking up newspapers for her crossword puzzles, and planning their next trip down to Hilton Head.

But severe knee pain began to change everything.

He had dealt with neuropathy and balance challenges for years following a back surgery that damaged the L5 nerve. Still, it was his right knee that became unbearable. An orthopedic surgeon in Delaware reviewed his X-rays and refused to operate, noting severe bone loss, fluid buildup, and bone-on-bone pressure. A full knee replacement from another provider near home only made things worse, the kneecap healed in the wrong place, clicked with every step, and constantly slipped out of alignment.

He went from flying fighter jets and commercial airliners to struggling to step into his truck.

Walking into restaurants was too painful and unpredictable. Getting up and down felt unsafe. His confidence disappeared.

Every Sunday, he and his wife listened to Mindy & Boots on the radio, where Dr. Brian Cohen appears once a month.

NOTE: Dr. Cohen appears on Raw with Mindy & Boots every third Sunday of the month at 3pm.

“He’s the best,” he often said. Finally, he wondered, Could I get in to see him?

He called his primary care provider, received a referral, and got an appointment with Dr. Cohen in Grove City this past July.

When Dr. Cohen walked into the exam room, he had already studied the images. He shook hands, sat down, and spoke with both confidence and compassion. He told him the truth plainly: he could fix it.

It was the first hope he’d felt in a long time.

He was scheduled quickly for an Medial Patellofemoral Ligament (MPFL) reconstruction at Pickerington Methodist Hospital. After staying in a nearby hotel the night before, he and his wife arrived early. From reception to nursing to anesthesia, every staff member made them feel at ease, and took special care of his wife while he was in surgery.

Dr. Cohen told him the procedure would take about 30 minutes. It went exactly as planned.

Post-op nurses kept him comfortable and informed. He left with a brace to protect the repair and a clear plan for recovery.

A man of strong faith, he believed God placed Dr. Cohen in his path.

“I trusted him wholeheartedly,” he said. “I prayed about it, and I knew this was the right decision.”

That trust deepened when Dr. Cohen did something most surgeons never do: he gave him his personal cell phone number.

Today, the severe pain is gone. Occasionally, he gets a small twitch if he moves awkwardly, but compared to before, it’s nothing. His balance issues remain from neuropathy, so he still uses a walker, but he proudly says:

“That’s my good knee now.”

And slowly, life is opening back up:

For a man who once sat in the cockpit during Desert Storm, flew KC-135s for 14 years, and spent decades soaring above the world, getting his mobility, and confidence back means everything.

He and Dr. Cohen were recently on the radio together, where Dr. Cohen said something that stuck with him:

“If I can’t do it, I will find someone who can.”

To him, that integrity matters.
“If someone asked me where to go,” he said, “Dr. Cohen would be the first person I’d tell them to call. He’s not going to do anything he shouldn’t do.”