Staying Active: Finding Relief and Mobility After Knee Surgery
Fernande, a Niagara Falls resident, is constantly on the move, so when her knee began to trouble her last year, she knew it was time to take action. “I went to my family doctor because my knee was in a lot of pain, and he referred me to Dr. LeRoux, an Orthopedic Surgeon at Niagara Health.” Based on Fernande’s ultrasound and x-ray images, it was evident that surgery would be necessary. “Dr. LeRoux looked at the images and told me that it was no wonder that I was in so much pain – it was bone-on-bone. There were days when I woke up, and I could not walk. I had to push myself with a walker.”
“There were days when I woke up, and I could not walk. I had to push myself with a walker.”
On May 3, Fernande and her sisters arrived at the Welland hospital where she was prepped for day surgery. “I remember being prepared for surgery, and being put into this machine that made me feel so comfortable and warm,” she says. “I remember going to the operating room and getting the needle in my back for the freezing, but then I don’t remember anything up until the memory of my sisters getting me home.”
A few months after the procedure, Fernande still experiences some pain and stiffness in her knee when she wakes up in the morning, but she understands recovery takes time. “I did physiotherapy for eight weeks and have exercises I can do at home,” she explains. “I walk a lot during the day – even just walking from my apartment to the elevator is a long distance – so I don’t want to push myself to a point where I hurt myself.”
“I always have a good experience when I go there, and I know it’s for my own good, so I’m not scared when I go to the hospital.”
Eager to stay active and independent, Fernande is already undergoing tests to prepare for replacing her other knee. “I have the same pain in the other knee, so I already had my x-rays done and, next week, I will get the ultrasound done as well.” Fernande will once again be in Dr. LeRoux and his team’s care. She is grateful for the positive experience she has had with her first knee replacement, as well as other surgeries and hospital stays in the past. “I always have a good experience when I go there, and I know it’s for my own good, so I’m not scared when I go to the hospital.”
Staying Active: Finding Relief and Mobility After Knee Surgery
Fernande, a Niagara Falls resident, is constantly on the move, so when her knee began to trouble her last year, she knew it was time to take action. “I went to my family doctor because my knee was in a lot of pain, and he referred me to Dr. LeRoux, an Orthopedic Surgeon at Niagara Health.” Based on Fernande’s ultrasound and x-ray images, it was evident that surgery would be necessary. “Dr. LeRoux looked at the images and told me that it was no wonder that I was in so much pain – it was bone-on-bone. There were days when I woke up, and I could not walk. I had to push myself with a walker.”
“There were days when I woke up, and I could not walk. I had to push myself with a walker.”
On May 3, Fernande and her sisters arrived at the Welland hospital where she was prepped for day surgery. “I remember being prepared for surgery, and being put into this machine that made me feel so comfortable and warm,” she says. “I remember going to the operating room and getting the needle in my back for the freezing, but then I don’t remember anything up until the memory of my sisters getting me home.”
A few months after the procedure, Fernande still experiences some pain and stiffness in her knee when she wakes up in the morning, but she understands recovery takes time. “I did physiotherapy for eight weeks and have exercises I can do at home,” she explains. “I walk a lot during the day – even just walking from my apartment to the elevator is a long distance – so I don’t want to push myself to a point where I hurt myself.”
“I always have a good experience when I go there, and I know it’s for my own good, so I’m not scared when I go to the hospital.”
Eager to stay active and independent, Fernande is already undergoing tests to prepare for replacing her other knee. “I have the same pain in the other knee, so I already had my x-rays done and, next week, I will get the ultrasound done as well.” Fernande will once again be in Dr. LeRoux and his team’s care. She is grateful for the positive experience she has had with her first knee replacement, as well as other surgeries and hospital stays in the past. “I always have a good experience when I go there, and I know it’s for my own good, so I’m not scared when I go to the hospital.”
