Jo’s Story

I am near retirement now but was in an accident at age six which left me with a damaged knee and arthritis most of my life. I had two arthroscopic surgeries on that knee when I was in my 30’s and was told back then that the next step would be a total knee replacement.  After two falls last spring, I knew the time had come for me to take that step as I was forced to use a cane for stability and had developed some hip and back pain due to the change in my gait.

As Coordinator of Human Resources, I was aware of ConnectCare3, an employer-sponsored nurse navigation and patient advocacy service available to insured individuals working at my long-term care facility.  I was interested in learning about the most up-to-date information on knee replacements so called ConnectCare3 and was assigned to one of their nurse navigators.  I had previously been assisted by one of their health coaches and received a lot of helpful information regarding diet and exercise.

In the midst of planning for my knee replacement, I went for a skin check with my dermatologist.  Unfortunately, a suspicious-looking spot on my leg turned out to be cancerous, so I had to get it removed and postpone my knee replacement for six months.  I kept in contact with my ConnectCare3 nurse navigator during this time.

While waiting for my leg to heal, I developed such a rapport with my nurse navigator and shared some fears about my upcoming knee replacement.  One was the spinal anesthesia block.  My nurse navigator sent me information on that and put me at ease.  She also prepared questions for me to ask at each appointment with my physician.  My nurse navigator was always a step ahead of me and seemed to intuitively know what I needed.

The day of my knee replacement surgery finally arrived in early March.  The two weeks following surgery were rough, but at the end of those two weeks I began physical therapy, always keeping focused on my personal goal to walk without a cane at my grandson’s college graduation in May.

I returned to work full-time on May 1, and I am happy to report that I was walking without a cane, without a limp, and had no pain!  And I’m off all my arthritis medications!  I’ve continued to do my exercises at home as I’m now working towards another goal to walk in a 5k in November in honor of a friend who succumbed to cancer.  I remain very motivated and driven to stay mobile and believe it’s imperative to anyone recovering from a joint replacement.

If you have access to ConnectCare3 benefits, I highly encourage you to take advantage of what they have to offer.  Having access to their knowledgeable staff has been such an asset to me, and their caring and compassion was simply the icing on the cake!