MADISON, Wis. – What are precious moments with family worth? For Jim Breitzman, everything.

When Breitzman moved to Columbus and started a family, his parents were three hours away in Eau Claire and couldn’t easily be part of his daughter’s life. That stuck with him now that he is a grandpa, he said.

“My parents didn’t get to see my daughter grow up, and I wanted to be in my granddaughter’s life,” Breitzman said. “I want be able to be five minutes away and come babysit when they need me.” 

In 2020, he moved to Beaver Dam to be closer to his daughter’s family, but his health had become a major obstacle to spending time with his beloved 5-year-old granddaughter, Lainey Steen. Breitzman’s knees had become so painful that he couldn’t move much whenever he spent time with her. 

“There was a lot of playing with dolls on the couch,” he said. 

Jim’s weight, which was more than 400 pounds when Steen was born, was putting too much strain on his knees. So, he sought medical care with UW Health, and he learned that knee replacement was the best option for relieving his pain. 

However, because of his weight, he was not a candidate for surgery, and he needed to lose around 170 pounds to be eligible for the surgery, according to Dr. Erin Davis, medical director of the hip and knee osteoarthritis program at UW Health. 

“The program is designed to help people who wouldn’t be a candidate for hip and knee replacement surgery,” she said. “We also work with people who have joint pain and don’t need surgery.”

The program consists of doctors, dietitians, nurse practitioners, physical therapists and mental health professionals working together to tailor a weight loss program for patients, according to Davis.

“Each member of the program has an area of expertise, and each of us came together to devise a plan for Jim,” she said. “Weight loss is not easy; for some people, it is a life-long struggle.”

It was a struggle at times, Breitzman said. 

“The last two years have been tough and slow going, but with the help of the people at the clinic I was able to reach that goal,” he said. 

Breitzman cut his weight to around 265 pounds and became eligible for knee replacement surgery in 2024. 

To get there, he met with the osteoarthritis program team every six to eight weeks, starting with an appointment with Anne Bachhuber, a nurse practitioner in the program. Bachhuber coordinated with Emma Gellerstedt, a dietitian, and Cassie Raduka, a physical therapist. At each visit, they would make recommendations in incremental steps to let Breitzman find the things that would work for him whether that was exercises he could do at home, pain management strategies or changes to what he eats.

Diet was an eye-opener, Breitzman said. 

The change to a more protein-based diet was a big transition, but so was cutting down on the high-sodium sports drinks he enjoyed, as sodium impacts the swelling and fluid retention he was experiencing. 

As Breitzman was building strength at his local YMCA, he would focus on exercises that would allow him to do the things he wanted to do, according to Raduka. 

“We worked on walking on uneven surfaces so he can get to the playground, for example, and now we are working on getting up and down from the floor so he can play with his granddaughter on the floor,” she said. 

Whenever a patient enters the program, their journey starts with the reason they want to embark on an often-difficult journey, Raduka said, because that is the thing that will see them through when things do get difficult.

“He’s a great example of someone with a great ‘why?’” she said. 

With his new knees, Breitzman is now able to do much more with his granddaughter, whether it is going to the backyard or playground or playing Marble Run or with dolls in the house. 

“Lainey’s basically what’s driven me through this two-year process,” he said. “I can’t say it enough, it is totally awesome to not have any pain in my knees; it’s amazing,”

Breitzman now has a new goal, he said. He’d like to purchase a bike this summer, just like in the days of his youth when he would ride around town to find his friends, he said.

“Not that I’m going to get on my bike and go find my friends now,” Breitzman said with a laugh. “Just get out on a bike and enjoy Beaver Dam.”