Pat Becker
Pat Becker, a retired respiratory therapist who worked at Riverwood Healthcare Center for 15 years, is enjoying her pain-free recovery from a knee replacement.
“From a medical perspective, I knew what to expect with getting a total knee replacement, but I was not prepared for how wonderful I would feel to be on the receiving end of such compassionate care from the Riverwood staff,” Becker shares. “Until I was a patient, I never saw how all the various department staff—clinic, surgeon and surgery staff, and therapy—come together for patients to ensure a smooth and safe surgery experience. They truly provide an awesome safety net during a potentially unsettling procedure.”
Becker attributes her relatively pain-free recovery following her knee replacement procedure to a non-narcotic pain management technique that involved injecting her leg in five places before her knee replacement surgery. This pain management approach is designed to control pain prior to surgery, during surgery and in recovery.
Becker adds, “After I woke up from my surgical procedure, I experienced very little pain—perhaps .5 on a scale of 1 to 10 on the first day after surgery and literally no pain, just stiffness in my knee and leg, as I’ve moved through the recovery process.”
She also valued a new feature in Riverwood’s new surgery waiting room. Family members can now look at a digital board to see the status of a patient’s movement—pre-op, surgery in progress, and recovery—through the surgery process.
Becker is progressing well in her knee replacement recovery as she goes through physical therapy treatments at Riverwood and does exercises several times a day to regain her mobility. She looks forward to being more active again soon, tending her goats and gardening.
“After moving to the Aitkin area 20 years ago, I realized early on that Riverwood has services and care comparable to what you would find at a bigger hospital in a larger metro area,” Becker adds. “From my experience, this was the best place to get innovative, compassionate care for a major surgical procedure.”
To schedule an appointment with Riverwood Orthopaedics, call 218-927-5181. See more on orthopaedic care at www.riverwoodhealhcare.org