In the five years that Bill Skelton has worked at the Arthrex Logistics Center (ALC) in Fort Myers, he has been proud of many things in his role as Senior Manager - Warehouse Operations. From keeping products flowing to the sales force through hurricanes to managing a successful team through COVID, his commitment runs deep.
“I am very proud to work at Arthrex,” Bill said. “It’s a company with a terrific culture and the work we do every day positively impacts both surgeons and patients.”
And that became even more clear to him when a traumatic injury landed him in the hospital for surgery.
“I was home alone on a Sunday, putting up shelving in my garage on a 10-foot ladder,” Bill said. “It was very hot, and I was sweating. After having gone up and down the ladder successfully, I noticed I left a level and tape measure at the top. On my way back down, my foot slipped off and I crashed to the concrete floor from about six feet up.”
Bill landed first on his knee, then hit his hip and finally his head, briefly knocking himself out.
“When I came to, my face was up against the closed garage door. I knew I was badly hurt. I was just overwhelmed with pain everywhere,” he said.
Bill tried to get up, but quickly realized he could not move his left leg.
“I noticed that my knee looked significantly different than the right one,” he recalled. With his cell phone on a shelf at the back of the garage, he scooted himself across the garage floor and pulling the phone down by its charging cord and called a friend for help.
“He tried to get me off the floor and out of the hot garage, but the pain was too much and there was no moving my leg,” Bill said. “There was nothing to do but call 911.”
At the hospital, a CT scan ruled out a head injury, but his knee did not fare as well. Bill fractured his patella (kneecap) in two pieces and ruptured the patellar tendon – requiring surgery.
“They told me later that when the surgeon opened up my wound, he said ‘what a mess.' Never what you want to hear at the beginning of surgery,” Bill said.
The surgeon used Arthrex products to repair the tendon and Bill’s patella, including 2.0 FiberWire® suture. After 90 minutes in surgery, the operation was successful, and Bill started the long road back to recovery.
“I was discharged from surgery the following day in a full leg brace and instructions for extensive rehab for the muscles and tendons in my leg,” he said.
After nearly two months of physical therapy Bill was able to return to work at ALC.
“I was fully committed to my recovery,” Bill said. “I am 90% back to myself. I am riding my bike 15 to 20 miles and powerwalking 70 to 100 laps in the neighborhood pool.”
Today, Bill says he is simply grateful for everything from the products Arthrex produces to the support he received from ALC Warehouse and Operations Director Stacie Sattler, his team at ALC and the Arthrex family.
“It’s really remarkable to be a part of something like this, [President and Founder] Reinhold Schmieding is a great motivator. He is so genuine and takes such good care of us as employees,” Bill said. “I am a living example of the difference Arthrex is making in people’s lives every day.”
