The osteoarthritis sufferer says she was turned down for a left hip replacement because of a lack of resources at Southern District Health Board.
''He didn't say the word money, he said: 'limited resources'.'' she said of her appointment two months ago with a Dunedin Hospital orthopaedic surgeon.
''He gave me a pat on my shoulder. I said: 'I've waited four years to get this far'.
''He said: 'I do sympathise'.''
She was told that at 51, she was probably too young for the procedure, but her GP believes she needs it.
The surgeon told her she was not as urgent as other patients, as she could still walk.
''My GP says: 'it sounds like they have washed their hands of you for now, and just referred you back to me'.''
Working as a presser in a Dunedin drycleaning business means Ms Stephens is on her feet most of the day, and she relies on painkillers.
Sometimes she leans against something while working to relieve the pain, but even her ''good side'' has become sore.
''If I get really sore I just stop and have a break.
''It's standing all day - apart from when you sit for your breaks.''
She does not think she can keep working indefinitely if nothing changes, and her GP will try the hospital system again in a few months.
Colleagues help when they can to make her job easier, for which she is grateful. ''I just want to get on with my life. It really impacts on my partner as well.''
Figures released to the Otago Daily Times by the Ministry of Health reveal Southern's hip and knee replacement figures fell compared with other health boards in the last three years.
Last year, its standardised rate was 16th of the 20 boards, compared with 14th in 2014, and 11th in 2013.
A 2013 New Zealand Medical Journal article written by then Dunedin Hospital orthopaedics clinical leader Associate Prof David Gwynne-Jones warned that major joint replacement volumes in Otago were falling, and fewer were performed than in 2007.
Prof Gwynne-Jones later resigned as clinical leader due to his frustration over patients missing out on the operations, but he still works as an orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital.
''We are now performing significantly less joint replacements than the NZ average, despite our increased demand,'' Prof Gwynne-Jones said in an email to colleagues obtained by the ODT when he stepped down in September 2014.
Standardising the rate means accounting for things like the average age of the population.
In 2013, Southern was level pegging with the average national, but is well short of that now.
Ministry of Health electives and national services manager Clare Perry denied the data showed a sharp decline in Southern's rate.
''As is expected with all DHBs, there is a minimal fluctuation from year to year in the rate of major joint surgery provided for Southern DHB patients,'' Ms Perry said in a statement.
The ministry focuses on the national target rate, rather than the national average.
Other DHBs have increased hip and knee operations in recent years, meaning that while Southern still meets the official national target, it falls behind other boards.
''Additional surgeries are being provided by Southern DHB as part of the elective surgery announcement in Budget 2015 and this includes orthopaedic surgeries,'' Ms Perry said.
Dunedin South MP Clare Curran told the ODT Ms Stephens could not function in her job properly, and needed the operation.
''This case feels to me like the health system has got things back to front.
''Do people have to become debilitated to the point where they have to leave their job and become dependent on the welfare system in order to be able to qualify?''
The health board did not respond to questions from the ODT.
