Still Standing
An intimate look at injury, aging, healing and leaning on
the love of those who matter most
the love of those who matter most
By: Jay byrd
For years, Patrick Wagner suffered through the pain of hard work on a bad knee. With the love and support of his wife, Stephanie Wagner, his children, extended family members and friends, he made the decision to finally have the surgery and face the long, difficult road to recovery.
For 57-year-old Patrick Wagner, resilience isn't just a mindset, it's a way of life. After decades of hard work and long days on his feet, Patrick reached a point where the pain in his knee was no longer something he could push through. A torn ACL, torn meniscus, bone spurs and arthritis forced him to make a difficult but necessary decision: undergo a total knee replacement (TKR). He scheduled the surgery for March 3, 2025.
Patrick and his wife, Stephanie, have known each other since high school. They ran in the same circles, but it wasn’t until after college that they began dating — specifically, on the Sunday after the Kentucky Derby in 1987. Life moved fast after that and their family grew quickly. They had their first child, Ralph, in 1991, followed by their daughter, Raven, in 1993. A few years later, on New Year’s Eve in 1998 during an ice storm, they got married — a moment Patrick and Stephanie fondly remember as both chaotic and perfect.
Patrick and his wife, Stephanie, have known each other since high school. They ran in the same circles, but it wasn’t until after college that they began dating — specifically, on the Sunday after the Kentucky Derby in 1987. Life moved fast after that and their family grew quickly. They had their first child, Ralph, in 1991, followed by their daughter, Raven, in 1993. A few years later, on New Year’s Eve in 1998 during an ice storm, they got married — a moment Patrick and Stephanie fondly remember as both chaotic and perfect.
"We got married in less than 24 hours"
~ Stephanie Wagner
~ Stephanie Wagner
Patrick and Stephanie are pictured in 1987 after they started dating.
“Love turns into family over time — she’s more than just my wife.”
~ Patrick Wagner
Since then, they’ve built a life rooted in love, laughter and the kind of partnership that carries a relationship through its hardest days. Stephanie works in the medical field; Patrick says she was more nervous about his surgery than he was.
Patrick's knee damage isn’t unusual for someone in his line of work. Factory and warehouse jobs require long hours on hard surfaces, repetitive motion, and constant physical strain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, musculoskeletal disorders, including joint problems like arthritis and torn ligaments, are among the leading causes of injury in manufacturing workers. Studies show that factory workers are nearly twice as likely to require joint replacement surgeries compared to white-collar workers.
Patrick currently works at Magna International and has worked on multiple different production lines in the factory located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Magna develops and produces a wide range of components and systems for vehicles.
Patrick's knee damage isn’t unusual for someone in his line of work. Factory and warehouse jobs require long hours on hard surfaces, repetitive motion, and constant physical strain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, musculoskeletal disorders, including joint problems like arthritis and torn ligaments, are among the leading causes of injury in manufacturing workers. Studies show that factory workers are nearly twice as likely to require joint replacement surgeries compared to white-collar workers.
Patrick currently works at Magna International and has worked on multiple different production lines in the factory located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Magna develops and produces a wide range of components and systems for vehicles.
Relative likelihood of joint replacement surgery
66.7%
Blue collar workers
33.3%
White collar workers
The physical pain is only part of the story. The financial strain of missing work while recovering adds another challenge. Patrick receives disability insurance but it only covers about 66% of his income. With rent, car payments and everyday expenses, that reduction hits hard.
“I’m not behind on nothing,
but sometimes, yeah, it gets rough.”
~ Patrick Wagner
but sometimes, yeah, it gets rough.”
~ Patrick Wagner
To help manage his chronic pain, Patrick uses cannabis. “It helps with the pain,” he says, explaining that it provides him relief without heavy reliance on prescription medication. For many people in physically demanding jobs, medical cannabis is a practical and increasingly accepted part of managing long-term pain.
He’s quick to acknowledge how fortunate he is to have support from Stephanie, Ralph, Raven, his mom, his sister and longtime friends who check in and show up. “I guess I’m kind of blessed,” he says.
Not everyone has that kind of network. A study from the National Library of Medicine titled "Racial Variation in Total Knee Replacement in a Diverse Nationwide Clinical Trial" showed that Black patients are significantly less likely to undergo TKR compared to white patients, even when accounting for similar levels of knee osteoarthritis severity.
When analyzing data from the Vitamin D and Omega-3 TriaL (VITAL), Black participants had a lower adjusted risk of having TKR than white participants, despite experiencing worse baseline knee pain and function.
This means that racial disparities in joint replacement aren’t just about differences in physical health. They point to deeper, systemic issues in healthcare access, cultural trust and referral patterns. Even when Black patients experience equal or greater need for surgery, they are less likely to receive it. This suggests barriers such as limited access to orthopedic care in predominantly Black communities, medical mistrust stemming from historic mistreatment, a lower referral rate by providers and financial or insurance-related challenges.
Ultimately, this disparity can lead to prolonged suffering, greater physical disability and a lower quality of life for many Black patients that could be preventable with equitable access and care.
He’s quick to acknowledge how fortunate he is to have support from Stephanie, Ralph, Raven, his mom, his sister and longtime friends who check in and show up. “I guess I’m kind of blessed,” he says.
Not everyone has that kind of network. A study from the National Library of Medicine titled "Racial Variation in Total Knee Replacement in a Diverse Nationwide Clinical Trial" showed that Black patients are significantly less likely to undergo TKR compared to white patients, even when accounting for similar levels of knee osteoarthritis severity.
When analyzing data from the Vitamin D and Omega-3 TriaL (VITAL), Black participants had a lower adjusted risk of having TKR than white participants, despite experiencing worse baseline knee pain and function.
This means that racial disparities in joint replacement aren’t just about differences in physical health. They point to deeper, systemic issues in healthcare access, cultural trust and referral patterns. Even when Black patients experience equal or greater need for surgery, they are less likely to receive it. This suggests barriers such as limited access to orthopedic care in predominantly Black communities, medical mistrust stemming from historic mistreatment, a lower referral rate by providers and financial or insurance-related challenges.
Ultimately, this disparity can lead to prolonged suffering, greater physical disability and a lower quality of life for many Black patients that could be preventable with equitable access and care.
Outpatient Physical Therapy
Typically, patients need to undergo
6-12 weeks of both at-home recovery and outpatient physical therapy after TKR surgery. Patrick graduated from outpatient
therapy on April 25, 2025.
6-12 weeks of both at-home recovery and outpatient physical therapy after TKR surgery. Patrick graduated from outpatient
therapy on April 25, 2025.
“I believe in God heavily, and I always believe it’s going to work out.”
~ Patrick Wagner
~ Patrick Wagner
By six weeks post-op, surgeons like to see a knee bend of 120 degrees. On April 4, 2025, a month and a day after the operation, Patrick's knee bend was measured at 111 degrees.
Despite the challenges, Patrick has never lost his humor. He jokes about going from two bow-legged legs to one straight and one crooked one, and about how all he really needs to get through the day is “a cold beer, a shot and a pack of cigarettes.” Beneath the jokes is a quiet honesty — about aging, pride, pain and the need to keep moving forward.