Patient Experience
As a 19-year-old competitive rock climber, I was devastated when unexplained joint swelling in my fingers threatened my career. Dr. Koca didn't just see a case of juvenile arthritis, he saw an athlete. His treatment plan balanced aggressive inflammation control with preserving my finger dexterity. Within three months, I was back on the climbing wall, and he even adjusted my medication schedule around competition seasons. He treated my passion as seriously as my diagnosis.
My 82-year-old mother, a retired ceramic artist, developed sudden, crippling polymyalgia rheumatica that left her unable to hold her tools. Dr. Koca's approach was remarkable, he coordinated with her geriatrician, used the lowest effective steroid doses to minimize side effects, and incorporated gentle hand exercises into her treatment. Within weeks, she was back at her pottery wheel. He preserved not just her mobility, but her lifelong creative identity.
After years of mysterious fevers and fatigue dismissed by other doctors, my 7-year-old daughter was finally diagnosed with systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis by Dr. Koca. What set him apart was his family-centered approach, he used animal analogies to explain treatments to my daughter, created a 'medication calendar' with stickers, and taught us to distinguish between normal childhood complaints and disease flares. He turned a terrifying diagnosis into a manageable journey.
As a 34-year-old software developer with ankylosing spondylitis, I faced progressive spinal fusion that threatened my ability to sit at a computer. Dr. Koca pioneered a hybrid treatment for me, combining biologic therapy with a customized ergonomic and physical therapy regimen designed specifically for desk workers. He didn't just treat the inflammation; he engineered a solution that preserved my career. My spinal mobility has actually improved.
During a family vacation from Germany, my husband experienced a sudden, severe gout attack that left him immobile. Dr. Koca's clinic arranged an emergency appointment within hours. His approach was comprehensive, immediate pain management, dietary analysis showing unexpected triggers from Turkish cuisine, and a temporary treatment plan we could continue abroad. He turned a vacation disaster into a cross-border care success story.
My 45-year-old sister with lupus nephritis had failed multiple treatments when we consulted Dr. Koca. His innovation was a combination therapy using medications not typically paired together, based on recent research he'd been following internationally. He monitored her with unprecedented frequency via telemedicine during the critical first months. Now in remission for two years, she calls him her 'treatment architect.'
As a 28-year-old pregnant woman diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, I faced impossible choices between my health and my baby's safety. Dr. Koca collaborated directly with my obstetrician to create a pregnancy-safe treatment protocol, adjusting medications weekly as my pregnancy progressed. He managed my flares without compromising fetal development. Today, I have a healthy daughter and controlled arthritis, a dual outcome I was told might be impossible.
My 61-year-old father, a retired ship captain with scleroderma, developed severe digital ulcers that resisted standard treatments. Dr. Koca employed a novel combination of vasodilators, topical therapies, and even modified scuba-diving gloves for controlled oxygen delivery to his fingertips. This unconventional approach saved three fingers from amputation. Dr. Koca approaches medicine like a master problem-solver, not a protocol follower.
After a hiking accident triggered an autoimmune response, I developed reactive arthritis at age 52 that was misdiagnosed as infection for months. Dr. Koca identified the autoimmune component through meticulous history-taking that connected the trauma to my symptom timeline. His treatment addressed both the inflammation and the post-traumatic stress that was exacerbating my condition. He healed the injury's aftermath, not just the joints.
My 16-year-old son with Behçet's disease suffered debilitating oral ulcers that made eating unbearable. While other doctors focused solely on immunosuppressants, Dr. Koca created a multi-disciplinary plan involving a nutritionist for soft-food diets, a dentist for protective coatings, and mindfulness techniques to reduce stress-induced flares. He treated the whole experience of illness, not just the disease markers.
As a 70-year-old with giant cell arteritis, I nearly lost my vision before seeing Dr. Koca. His emergency intervention with high-dose steroids saved my sight, but what impressed me more was his long-term strategy. He developed a precise tapering schedule that prevented relapses while minimizing steroid side effects that had plagued me with previous doctors. His precision turned a blunt instrument into a scalpel.
My wife, a 39-year-old ballet teacher with psoriatic arthritis, found her career ending as her toes and ankles swelled. Dr. Koca, understanding the specific demands of dance, designed a treatment that prioritized weight-bearing joints and incorporated ballet barre exercises into her physical therapy. He didn't just restore function; he restored her ability to demonstrate pliés and relevés to her students.
When my 10-year-old developed unexplained vasculitis rashes, Dr. Koca did something extraordinary, he used a dermatoscope to photograph the patterns and consulted with an international pediatric rheumatology network overnight. His diagnosis of IgA vasculitis came with a comprehensive parent guide he'd personally translated into simple language. He combines high-tech medicine with deep human compassion.
As a 57-year-old fisherman with osteoarthritis in my hands, I was losing my livelihood. Dr. Koca rejected standard treatments that would have dulled my grip strength. Instead, he created custom silicone grips for my tools, combined with targeted hyaluronic acid injections in only the joints essential for fishing motions. He engineered a solution that respected my trade's specific physical demands.