“I hardly know where to begin in expressing my gratitude and admiration for Dr. James C. Wittig’s care and treatment of my rather unusually challenging knee disease,” wrote Tom Artin, globally renown jazz trombonist, fine art photographer and author. “Since at least 2004, I had suffered from a rare, benign but aggressive tumor, called pigmented vilonodular synovitis–PVNS for short. My symptoms went from painless but marked swelling to increasingly debilitating though still painless swelling of the knee.”
The first orthopedic surgeon he consulted in 2011 asked Artin if he could live with it.
“At the time, since my only symptom was a slight limp, I told him I could. A slight limp seemed preferable to surgery. This turned out to have been very bad advice since the PVNS tumor, clearly indicated on the MRI done at the time, was progressively destroying my knee joint.”
By early 2017, Artin needed a cane to be able to walk. A new orthopedic surgeon, looking at a new MRI, suggested he consult an orthopedic oncologist, and immediately recommended Dr. Wittig.
“My first consultation with Dr. Wittig was a reassuring experience. He patiently described the surgical intervention required and explained that it would have to be done in two consecutive surgeries, the first to excise the tumor on the back of the knee, the second to excise the remaining tumor on the front of the knee and complete the full knee replacement,” Artin continued.
“Perhaps most striking, though, was that Dr. Wittig, a warm person by nature, went on in a leisurely way to get to know me. There was no sense that he was anxious to move on to his next patient. He showed genuine interest in my multiple professions–musician, photographer, and writer. In my capacity as a writer, I was especially anxious to know if my recovery from these two surgeries would permit me to make the lecture tour to Germany planned for later in the year. He told me that though I might still require a cane, he thought the trip should be no problem.”
Through both surgeries, Artin said Dr. Wittig was especially friendly and forthcoming with his wife. After each hours-long surgery he immediately came out of the OR to reassure her that the operation had gone well, and that he had been able to save my leg.
“The day after my second surgery, Dr. Wittig made a special trip into the hospital from his home some 25 miles away to visit me and see how I was doing,” Artin continued. “During my recovery, he has been in touch with both my wife and me via email and Facebook to check on my recovery, and to send messages of encouragement.”
Artin fully recovered and not only took the trip to Europe but rode a bicycle through London to the Freud Museum where he spoke on Freud and Wagner.
“Dr. Wittig is a truly remarkable physician and human being,” Artin wrote in his first letter of gratitude.
A few years later, Artin was diagnosed with a second exceptionally rare form of bone cancer, Waldenstroms.
At that time, Dr. Wittig was the Chairman of Orthopedic Surgery at Atlantic Health’s Morristown Medical Center (and Carol G. Simon Cancer Center), and arranged for Tom to meet Dr. Mohamad Cherry, an expert in the disease who also happened to be part of an investigational trial for a drug that significantly slowed down the progression of the incurable disease.
“Dr. Wittig saved my husband’s life,” said Cynthia Artin, Tom’s wife of nearly 40 years. “His dedication to medicine, to innovation, and to his patients is unmatched. “Tom succumbed to Covid 19 ultimately, but before then he was pain free, ambulatory, and very happy. The Artin family will forever be grateful for the skill, commitment, and kindness we were shown and for the extra years the care provided by Dr. Cherry and Dr. Wittig enabled.”
“Tom reminded me of my grandfather,” Dr. Wittig said. “That is the highest compliment I can pay, and the fact that Tom was so kind, expressive, cooperative, brave, and good continues to inspire me and my team today.”
Visit Tom Artin’s LinkedIn for more.
