A Freak Accident, a 2-Month Hospitalization and a Grateful Patient: Kelly Flis' Story

Forget about freaky Friday. How about freaky Thursday? On January 26, 2023, near the end of her workday, Kelly Flis suffered the most bizarre freak accident, involving a long road to recovery.

"I was at my desk, texting a new hire. The conversation was fun, and I was laughing so much that I had to go to the bathroom."

Colleagues Rush to Her Aide

As Kelly walked toward the bathroom, she came upon a commercial mat, stepping on the edge of it in her rubber bottom boots. Suddenly, she tripped on the mat, crashing to the concrete while falling forward. She fractured her right leg and twirled landing on her back. Within seconds, she was screaming "My leg, my leg, my leg, my leg!" in agonizing pain.

A young man from the loaner department immediately ran to her aid and called 911. Meanwhile, her assistant service manager sat with her on the concrete. Kelly focused on him, so she wouldn't pass out from shock. Several other coworkers also gathered round. 

A Quick Drive Down the Street to WakeMed Cary Hospital

Soon an ambulance arrived and emergency medical services (EMS) workers loaded Kelly onto a stretcher, cutting her leggings open to see her injured leg. Her assistant service manager called Kelly's sister and trailed the ambulance to WakeMed Cary Hospital Emergency Department.

Kelly was immediately taken to imaging to receive X-rays. She was diagnosed with a distal femur fracture that required surgery.

In preparation for surgery, the care team put Kelly's right leg in traction, which involved using weights and pulleys to slowly pull her broken leg back into place and keep it stable. It ultimately helped to reduce pain and muscle spasms.

"They had given me pain relief while I was in the ambulance, so by the time I arrived to WakeMed I'd stopped screaming and was even joking with the EMS workers, but when they put my leg in traction, the pounding sound of the procedure was awful. While I didn't feel pain, I will never forget that sound."

Trauma Surgery in the Best of Hands

The next afternoon, Kelly was taken back to surgery by Justin Kauk, MD, a Wake Orthopaedics trauma surgeon to reset her severely fractured femur. The surgery took four and half hours. With a successful outcome, she was taken to her room around 9:30 that night. Kelly recalls her very first task after surgery was to stand up and shuffle to the end of the bed. She was shocked by the ask, but she slowly was able to do it, increasing her confidence. 

Strength Training in Rehab

Kelly was transferred was an inpatient in the WakeMed Rehabilitation Hospital after she spent a week in recovery at WakeMed Cary Hospital under the watchful care of Dr. Kauk and team. She underwent occupational and physical therapy in rehab to help her regain strength in her leg. 

"I had an hour and a half of physical therapy and an hour and a half of occupational therapy daily. Dr. Kauk also immediately cleared me to be 20 percent weight bearing on my right leg, so this involved a toe touch. It was tough, but I got through it."

After two weeks at WakeMed Rehabilitation, Kelly was transferred to a nursing facility as she was still not strong enough to climb the 14 stairs that led to her apartment. 

"I remained there until March 30, and I was, thereafter, finally discharged home."

A Bid to Conquer the Stairs

Kelly approached the return home with a mixture of delight and dread. Her sister helped her conquer the stairs. 

"Dr. Kauk had me order a walking stick, specifically designed for climbing stairs, while I was in the skilled nursing facility, and a physical therapist helped me practice walking up those stairs. Once home, I did the first seven steps very slowly, one leg at a time, and on the landing, I took a break. Then I took another six stairs, and once I got to the very last step I froze."

For about 15 minutes, Kelly stood there as her sister encouraged her. 

"I kept repeating that I couldn't do it, so we stood there until my mind told me I could. Finally, I overcame my mental block, and I did it. I was relieved."

Dr. Kauk explains, "Kelly shattered the lower end of her femur. The injury was on the upper spectrum of the most severe fractures we care for in this region. We had to repair the joint and the connection of the joint to the bone. This fracture can be very challenging to heal, and many patients lose range of motion — but not Kelly. She went on to heal the fracture, and due to her hard work with physical and occupational therapy, she regained full strength and range of motion of her leg without a limp or pain."

Another Shocking Injury

The provider-patient relationship for trauma surgeon Dr. Kauk and patient Kelly didn't end after her recovery from her leg injury. Kelly suffered another traumatic injury, and this time, she knew exactly where to go and from whom she'd seek care.

Remembering that surprising day, Dr. Kauk observes, "Imagine my surprise when taking a shortcut through the WakeMed Cary Hospital Emergency Department waiting room one Saturday morning in June 2024, I heard Kelly exclaim, 'Dr. Kauk!' I recognized her voice and her sunny disposition immediately. I also noticed that she was holding her arm very close to her body and appeared in pain. Unfortunately, she had fallen and injured her shoulder. X-rays would ultimately reveal that she had sustained a proximal humerus fracture. Fortunately, the severity of this fracture was minor compared to the femur fracture she had sustained, and we were able to treat her shoulder fracture without surgery. Like her femur injury, these fractures, even when minor, can frequently lead to stiffness and loss of function. However, despite the odds, she again put forth the effort and time with therapy to regain her range of motion and strength. Her recovery from both injuries can be attributed to her resiliency, dedication to her therapy regimen and positive attitude in the face of severe and potentially life-changing injuries."

A Return to Normal and Compliments for a Team that Cared

Since her recovery, Kelly has celebrated with two amazing cruises, involving quite a bit of walking — including stairs. She has also returned to work.  

In thinking of the care she received at WakeMed, Kelly shares, "I was more than happy with the care I received. I love Dr. Kauk. He is so patient, understanding and clear. He takes his time, explaining everything without rushing. His staff is equally amazing. I am so fortunate that he was my doctor. He took such good care of me. And in every interaction I've had since then, he and his staff have continued to demonstrate a great deal of genuine care and compassion."

Dr. Kauk adds, "As an orthopaedic traumatologist, I meet people on their worst day and have the privilege of caring for those in our community. I never wish to have a repeat patient due to another injury. At times, I find myself caring for the same patient twice, as in Kelly’s case. Other times, I might perform a repair and then care for that patient's family member later. I do not take the responsibility lightly, and I am honored that patients and their families repeatedly place their trust in me — just as Kelly did. Ultimately, I approach each person with the care, compassion and expertise I would desire if I were to find myself with a broken bone." 

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About Justin Kauk, MD

Dr. Justin Kauk is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopaedic trauma surgeon dedicated to restoring patients to pre-injury level of function through collaborative, high-quality care. His clinical interests include orthopaedic trauma and program development, streamlining processes to provide more cost-conscious and efficient patient care.

Dr. Kauk believes strongly in partnering with patients throughout their entire treatment and recovery process, working together to obtain an optimal outcome. In a collaborative approach, he and his patients identify the best treatment option for their injury. He strives to facilitate patient access to resources that impact healing and recovery following complex orthopaedic trauma including PTSD, addiction and food, housing and job insecurity.

Outside of work, Dr. Kauk enjoys spending time with his family, photography, biking, water skiing and snow skiing.

About Wake Orthopaedics

For over two decades, Wake Orthopaedics has been serving the Triangle community with comprehensive orthopaedic care dedicated to help patients regain their mobility and restore their quality of life. With specialties and expertise in conditions of the bones, muscles and joints, our team of board-certified and fellowship-trained specialists utilize progressive treatments and state-of-the-art technology to care for everything from shoulder injuries and fractures to ACL injuries and arthritis. In addition to traditional orthopaedic services, Wake Orthopaedics provides Orthopaedic Urgent Care access on nights and weekends, physical and occupational rehabilitation services and sports injury prevention. Wake Orthopaedics is a WakeMed Physician Practice.