Now walking easily and enjoying the benefits of regular exercise, Barbara Spiegel recommends the Joint Replacement Center at RWJ Rahway for those considering knee replacement.
Now walking easily and enjoying the benefits of regular exercise, Barbara Spiegel recommends the Joint Replacement Center at RWJ Rahway for those considering knee replacement.
With the help of a physical therapist, a Joint Replacement Center patient is out of bed and walking the day of surgery and will participate in physical and occupational therapy for three to four hours daily for the remainder of the three-day hospital stay. The goal is to become as independent at home as possible.
Coaches, an integral part of a patient’s therapy, are often family members who can help with the transition home and accompany patients to therapy sessions. For her coach, Mrs. Spiegel chose her husband, Joe.
“I gave her moral support, but Barbara did all the work,” says Mr. Spiegel. “She always wanted to keep progressing. I’m so proud of her.”
“Everyone at RWJ Rahway was so caring and supportive,” says Mrs. Spiegel. “I can walk tremendously well now, and my limp is gone. I went to a street fair with my family recently, and when my son-in-law offered to pull the car close and drop me off, I said, ‘You don’t need to do that anymore.’ People should know that it’s not always about returning to sports activities; sometimes it’s just about living a functional life. I’m grateful every day that I can walk.”
She is now a consistent morning walker and looks forward to her walking ritual.