Dr. Frederick Matsen III, MD

To me Dr. Matsen is my saving grace. He is that man that has all the answers and all the reasoning. I can barely remember first flying to Washington for the initial consultation. I remember the windows in the hotel room, the pier with the fresh fish, and Dr. Matsen's face. He knew when he laid his hands on my shoulder that he would be able to fix me...a second and third time fixing I don't think he was prepared for but he could fix it.

The first surgery in Seattle was..difficult. My parents drove me to and from Washington for the surgery and the ride home wasn't as pleasant as expected. My 5 day hospital stay was rough and I'll never forget being so hungry a few days after surgery and begging my mom for a bag of Nacho Cheese doritos, devouring the bag, and then throwing up all over myself a few seconds later. Ill never forget the way I itched my face from the morphine PCA, and ill never forget the massive Barnes & Noble we saw driving out of Washington on our way home.

The second surgery was a bit more smooth. After falling own the stairs and tearing everything out that we had worked so hard to repair in the first place, getting to Dr. Matsen wasn't as difficult. I didn't wait almost 2 years for surgery, it was maybe 2 months. I can remember the words Dr. Matsen said when we went in for the second consultation just 2 years later, "I don't think ill be able to fix this again after this". Its the words that ring in my head everyday hoping that in 7 years they have come up with something else and will be able to help me. If he turns me away I don't think there is a doctor in this world that will know what to do with this.

I have posted a link to a mini bio about Dr. Matsen below and links to his websites where he can be reached.

http://www.orthop.washington.edu/?q=faculty-profiles/frederick-a-matsen-iii-md.html
Dr. Matsen's bio page at UW Medicine

http://shoulderarthritis.blogspot.com/
Dr. Matsen's own shoulder blog.

Dr. Frederick Matsen contact info:
Bone & Joint Surgery Center at UWMC
UW Medical Center-Roosevelt II
Second Floor
4245 Roosevelt Way N.E.
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 598-4288