On the Road with Karen and Dr. Adeleke D.P.M.

“He explained everything to me and had an incredible bedside manner”
– Karen Clark, Patient

When Karen Clark was running six months ago as part of her regular health-centered regimen, she had no idea that one of the roads she would soon turn onto would be the road to recovery. During her run that day, Karen twisted her ankle seriously enough to prompt a visit to OAM’s URGENTOrtho team.

At the URGENTOrtho Middletown office, Physician Assistant Kerri Klink was the first OAM professional to see Karen. “Kerri was wonderful. She immediately fit me for a boot to quiet down the injury,” Karen recalls. “Then the office quickly set up a follow-up appointment for me with Dr. Terry Reardon.”

Dr. Reardon, an OAM specialist in sports medicine and general orthopedic injuries, recommended an MRI and discussed physical therapy options to begin the process of significantly easing Karen’s pain. That was an important step. But the next one was among the most decisive: a comprehensive assessment by Dr. Tee Adeleke D.P.M., OAM’s renowned foot and ankle specialist.

A twisted ankle sounds simple enough, but what Karen did not know at first was that she injured connective tissue and tore several ligaments. Podiatrist, Dr. Adeleke’s exam revealed that her problem actually required surgery and specialist-directed rehabilitation. “He explained everything to me and had an incredible bedside manner,” Karen says happily. “He is very down to earth.”
Dr. Adeleke D.P.M., himself an active sportsman, says, “I relate to each patient individually because each one is unique. Each has a specific injury that affects their mobility and quality of life in different ways. Getting to know them on a one-to-one basis is really the only effective way to discover the central problem and customize the most effective recovery plan.”

Following Podiatrist Dr. Adeleke’s assessment, Karen had surgery to correct the tissue and ligament problems. She then continued physical therapy and now, three weeks after weight bearing treatment, is turning yet another corner by getting out her running shoes again.

Karen had previously been familiar with OAM, having had several surgeries performed there. She has gotten to know, admire and appreciate all the physicians who have handled her cases. When Dr. Adeleke D.P.M., one of the newer members of the team, came into the picture, her positive impression of the practice was immediately solidified.

“Dr. Adeleke D.P.M. took the time to personally follow up the day after surgery to make sure I was all right,” she says. “Then he called several more times after that to check up on my progress!”

Dr. Adeleke advanced foot and ankle specialist, brings a unique perspective to OAM because of his highly-specialized training at the renowned American Foundation of Lower Extremity Surgery & Research in New Mexico. As a fellow there, he was immersed in comprehensive training from the knee to the foot, which is unlike the route taken by most podiatrists, whose learning is relegated below the ankle. “I studied everything from the knee down, which makes a big difference in how I empathize with my patients when they’re in pain.”

Karen will soon be on the road again, and when she is she will be able to look back to her most recent surgical experience with gratitude. She’s even planning to take up softball again, which in the past had been one of her favorite activities. That provides yet another appropriate analogy for her story: thanks to Dr. Adeleke D.P.M. and his colleagues at OAM, Karen’s active lifestyle has been successfully reset for a few grand slams.

Click here for more about Podiatrist Dr. Adeleke D.P.M.
To make an appointment with Dr. Adeleke D.P.M. please call 860-347-7636.