My Comeback Story: Rodolfo V.

From the very first appointment, everybody was very attentive. Dr. John explained what was going to happen, and then the waiting period began—but it went faster than I expected. The app and the printed materials provided all the information I needed to prepare for surgery.

Finally, August 25 arrived. I was scheduled to be at the hospital at 3 PM, with surgery at 5 PM, but everything was delayed by two hours. While I waited, Dr. John came to see me, and the anesthesiologist explained what he was going to do. From the first nurse to the doctor’s assistant and everyone in between, they checked on me often. Then I was taken to the operating room, where more staff were ready to prepare me. I fell asleep and woke up about 2.5 hours later. Once I was stable, they moved me to my room.

I was transferred to a bed, but not for long—a nurse offered me a turkey sandwich and then took me for a walk down the hallway. I couldn’t believe I was walking so soon! That night, I slept, although a bit sore. The next morning, right after breakfast, the physical therapist came. She got me out of bed, and we walked to the therapy room. She showed me how to use a walker, get in and out of a car, go up and down stairs, and safely get into a bathtub. The pain medication worked well.

I stayed two nights at the hospital. Dr. John and his staff came to see me each day. When I went home, I couldn’t wait to sleep in my own bed. For two weeks, the therapist came to my home to work with me. After that, I started therapy at a center three times a week. Overall, I am doing very well. I only used the walker for two weeks, and by the third week, I was already driving. I feel very blessed with my recovery. I know there’s still a way to go, but by following Dr. John’s directions, I feel great. The only issue is that I cannot sleep through the night yet—but I hope that will improve soon.