Tom Hilbing knows how to fix a body – a vehicle body. In 1967 he joined Hilbing Autobody in Quincy and spent over 50 years making people’s vehicles look like new after an accident.
Barry Werries also knows how to fix a body – a human body. He is a board certified orthopedic surgeon with Blessing Health System and helps people feel like new when their bones and joints need specialized care.
Is it any wonder these two crossed paths?
“I was really impressed with Dr. Werries,” Tom said. “I heard he was good, but he was just super to deal with. He and his staff are very concerned and caring.”
So how did these body work experts meet?
“At the end of 2020, I could not even hardly walk. I was in bad shape,” the 72-year-old Tom said.
Over a half-century on his feet on the concrete floor of the autobody shop took its toll on Tom’s knees and hips.
“Besides that I jogged for years,” he stated. “There was a 10 year period during which I jogged more than 1,000 miles a year. I just wore out my body.”
The final straw occurred as Tom was deer hunting in November 2020. A misstep in the woods caused him to twist his left hip in a way it was not made to twist. The hip did not break or fracture, but the pain was intense.
“It was really bad. The joint was just wore out. It was shot,” Tom admitted.
Word of mouth, including that of his personal physician, led Tom to the office of Dr. Werries in the Blessing Health Center 4800 Maine and to a hip replacement at Blessing Hospital in January 2021.
“It went really smooth. I was very impressed,” he said.
The experience led Tom to also get both his worn-out knees replaced later in 2021 by Dr. Werries. The fact that Tom remained active into his retirement – working daily on his farm – and his commitment to carrying out the physical therapy plan he received after each procedure allowed him to have three joint replacements during the same year.
Tom’s knew what to expect. He had his right hip replaced in 2013 in a St. Louis hospital. He was pleased Blessing’s development of an orthopedic program gave him the choice to get quality care locally that exceeded his expectations.
“I am big on spending my money in this community. Why go out of town when you don’t have to?” he asked.
“I was very, very impressed – not only with Dr. Werries – but the way Blessing Hospital treated me. They were just outstanding,” Tom concluded. “It’s been a long time since I could get around like this. It’s really made a huge change in my life.”