Mom from 'Malcolm' Teams with Author, DePuy
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Daniel Riordan-driordan@timesuniononline.com
A local orthopedic company has entered into a unique and educational endeavor with an actress and an author.
Last week, actress Jane Kaczmarek and author Ellyn Spragins spoke via conference call to the Times-Union about their campaign with DePuy.
Kaczmarek is the featured person in the “Had I Known Then” campaign.
It focuses on getting people to write to their younger selves on struggles they’ve had with osteoarthritis.
Kaczmarek underwent hip replacement surgery in 2004 and since has been an outspoken advocate for people getting such procedures done.
But even for herself, Kaczmarek took a while to realize surgery was the thing to do.
“My biggest concern is I thought I was too busy,” said the actress famous for playing the oft-frazzled mom on the TV show “Malcolm in the Middle.”
“I thought I didn’t have time to do this. Finally I decided it was time to take care of myself.”
She described the pain she endured as unending and thought it was just something she was going to have to deal with.
The time issue, she soon found out, wasn’t going to be one as the doctors and nursing staff had her up the same day she was operated on.
Since Kaczmarek, who has battled osteoarthritis, decided to undergo surgery, she has been an outspoken advocate, teaming with DePuy.
Spragins is best known for her best-selling book series “Letters to My Younger Self.”
That spawned the “Had I Known Then” informational booklet.
It can be found online at www.HadIKnownThen.com
Kaczmarek and Spragins have known each other for years and said working together was a productive process.
Kaczmarek said one thing people have to overcome is the self-diagnosed “courage” of dealing with the day-to-day pain of osteoarthritis.
“I used to deny the pain and ignore,” said Kaczmarek. “Finally I realized that I couldn’t ignore it anymore.”
“There are no heroics in dealing with pain,” she said.
Follow staff writer Daniel Riordan on Twitter at @TUNews_Riordan
He can be reached at 574-267-3111, ext. 246.
