MSP

After 62 ski seasons, the pain was no longer worth the exhilaration. Finally after doing what she could to rehabilitate my knees (repeatedly), Dr. Goolsby said it was time for a hip replacement and recommended Dr. Gausden. With Thanksgiving approaching, Dr. Gausden pulled off the miracle: replacing my right hip within 10 days of meeting me on 11/24/20. It’s not easy spending your first time in 74 years in a hospital - especially under COVID protocols. From check-in 3 hours before the operation until discharge, patient handling was tailored to the individual, not to other 6000 patients a year who come in for the procedure! I was encouraged to walk around the floor and climb the ‘mountain’ of 4 stairs in the PT area multiple times a day to build confidence (often seeing Dr. Gausden on her rounds). My first 3 physical therapy sessions were video visits via Zoom with HSS therapists and far exceeded my expectations. By the time I made it to Evolve Physical Therapy 2 blocks from my home 2 weeks later, I graduated from the walker to a cane. And under the careful supervision of my therapists there did my favorite yoga pose in celebration of my pain-free future and independence.