aspirus.org
9
AFTER
dealing with pain and
discomfort in his knees for years, Mark
Gaedtke finally decided enough was
enough.
Earlier this year, Gaedtke, a 57-year-
old Tomahawk resident, had total knee
replacement surgery performed on both
knees within seven weeks of each other.
He had his right knee done in late March
and his left knee done in mid-May.
“I played football and was an athlete
for years,” said Gaedtke, who had already
undergone arthroscopic surgery on each
knee. “I’m a big guy, and after time all
that activity took its toll on my knees.”
Gaedtke had his procedures performed
at Aspirus Wausau Hospital, but prior to
his first surgery in March, he participated
in the hospital’s joint replacement
program at the recommendation of
his doctor. Aspirus’ joint replacement
program is free for joint replacement
patients and teaches them what to expect
before and after surgery, and also gives
participants more opportunity to ask
questions.
Gaedtke was more than ready to have
the knee replacements and find relief for
his longtime discomfort, but he found
the program to be very beneficial.
“I was so eager that I wanted to have
both knees done at the same time, but
my doctor said I should really have one
stronger leg to stand on after surgery
to help with recovery,” he said. “At
the program, the people who talked
answered our questions and really
removed any apprehension about the
procedure.”
Knowing what to expect
Aspirus Wausau Hospital offers its
joint replacement program to patients
undergoing hip or knee replacement
procedures at Aspirus Wausau Hospital.
Nurses and physical therapists talk to
participants in a group setting about
a variety of topics, including the
procedures themselves, how to prepare,
as well as recovery, therapy and what to
expect while in the hospital. Participants
can ask questions and meet some of the
people who will care for them during and
after their procedures.
“I thought it was great because you
can look around the room and see people
going through the same thing as you,”
Gaedtke said. “It’s a big decision to have
surgery, and there’s always something
that could go wrong, but any fears that
I may have had were taken away at the
program.”
Gaedtke attended with his wife, Patti,
who served as his coach. Gaedtke says
she asked good questions during the
program that he didn’t even think of and
helped him rehabilitate after surgery.
Cherished freedom
Gaedtke went into his procedures
with the goal of being up and about by
the Fourth of July so he could enjoy the
holiday. He met his goal, as it took about
two to three weeks after each surgery to
walk comfortably on his own. He says
his knees feel better each day and that his
doctor informed him that he can expect
to feel consistent improvement up to a
year after his procedures.
“My knees used to grind, but now
that is gone,” he said. “There is smooth
motion, and the procedures took care of
a lot of the arthritis I had in there.”
His experience at Aspirus was so
positive that Gaedtke also attended a
joint replacement program reunion
held at the hospital in July. The reunion
is a quarterly event that gives past
participants a chance to come back after
their surgeries to see fellow participants
and caregivers.
“It’s so important to have faith in your
caretakers, and the personnel at Aspirus
instilled confidence in them because
they were all above and beyond what I
expected,” Gaedtke said. “I wanted to
come back [to the reunion] and thank
the staff because part of you wants to
show off and say, ‘Look what you did.’”
“At the program, the people who talked answered our
questions and really removed any apprehension about
the procedure.” —Mark Gaedtke
NEED A NEW KNEE?
For more information about the
joint replacement program at Aspirus,
call the Aspirus Information Center at
715.847.2380
or
800.847.4707
.
Mark Gaedtke
