Great Bend Surgeon Helps Retiree Heal

On Memorial Day 2025, John Deines woke up feeling fine. But by noon, he wasn’t feeling well at all. He and his wife, Kathy, were outside grilling when he began feeling poorly.

“For the first time in my life, I couldn’t finish a steak,” John says. “So I went inside and took a nap.”

Although he felt marginally better after waking up, things quickly went downhill. By about 5 p.m., he was running a 100-degree fever. By 6 p.m., his fever had jumped to 102 degrees, and he was slurring his words. Kathy is a nurse in a long-term care facility, so she knew he needed immediate attention.

She took him to an emergency room nearby where the staff discovered he had an infection and was septic. An MRI on Tuesday showed an abscess in John’s right foot, and he had a procedure to treat the abscess on Tuesday evening in that same hospital.

After spending 5 days in the hospital, he was released and returned home. He received wound care from home health services and continued on antibiotics. Despite being on antibiotics intermittently throughout the summer, the infection never cleared up, which resulted in return trips to the emergency room.

By his third return trip to the ER, a recommendation was made for John to meet with a specialty team in Wichita. After failing to get an appointment for more than a month, John realized he needed to advocate for himself. He had seen a podiatrist in Salina, so John called him to see what he recommended.

That podiatrist recommended that John see Joshua Boone, DPM, in Great Bend.

“When I first met John, I understood that he had a challenging problem. Infections in the feet can be difficult to fully resolve,” says Dr. Boone. “His situation was difficult because of the infection on the bottom of his foot but also challenges that stem from underlying foot deformities he has had since birth.”

“I was hopeful we would be able to resolve the issue,” Dr. Boone adds. “I knew he was ready to be back up on his feet and get going again.”

John had his initial appointment with Dr. Boone on a Thursday. By Friday, he was scheduled for surgery on the abscess the following Wednesday at the hospital at Great Bend Campus. He had an MRI prior to going in for surgery so Dr. Boone would have the best information before operating.

By the time John and Kathy got to John’s hospital room after the procedure was complete, Dr. Boone had already set up a telehealth call with the health system’s infectious disease team in Kansas City.

“Our affiliation with The University of Kansas Health System helps us offer specialty services here in Great Bend, close to home, to patients who are admitted in our hospital,” Dr. Boone says. “We were able to take advantage of the expertise of the infectious diseases specialist in Kansas City via telehealth service, which was instrumental in developing a comprehensive care plan for John’s treatment and ultimately, his recovery.”

“It was amazing to have such a quick connection to the infectious diseases specialist in Kansas City,” says John.

During John’s stay in the hospital, from Wednesday when he had the surgery to Friday when he went home, John and Kathy were impressed with all the staff.

“Everyone, from housekeeping and dining services to the physicians and nurses, was so pleasant,” Kathy says. “Everyone seemed genuinely so happy to be here. The nurses we met before surgery were amazing. The whole atmosphere at the hospital was just different, in a good way!”

One important service John and Kathy noted during his stay was the personal care he received, especially helping John feel clean and taken care of. He was offered clean gowns and washcloths every day, without John or Kathy having to ask. And because of a heart condition, John has difficulty holding Styrofoam coffee cups. The staff found him a coffee cup that fit his hand better.

“The personal care and attitude of everyone who came in the room was wonderful,” says Kathy.

“Everyone does their jobs so well,” says John. “ I am confident I am getting the best possible care as I continue to heal.”