November 2009

Dear Dr. Harry Bade,

Come February 2010 it will be three years since I was the recipient of bilateral knee replacements at Riverview Medical Center. you were the "handy man" who performed the surgery. Prior to my surgery you asked what I most wanted to do when I got my "new knees". Although I had been an avid marathon runner I responded that what I truly wanted to be able to do again was dance with my eight grandchildren. By July of 2007, only five months post op, I was cutting a rug. I was so pleased I kept thinking to myself that I must write down how I felt about my decision to have the surgery and your expertise in performing the surgery and send you off a thank you note.

Often life gets in the way of the best of plans and thus it was with my note. Oh, I'd think about it again as I did my three to five mile walk every morning and every time I'd climb a ladder to clean a drain, change a light bulb or dart out of my seat to answer the door bell. Yet, i never wrote the note. Some part of me figured that you must get many notes from more than satisfied patients. I lived my life, a better live now, and the knees just became "my knees" - not the replacement knees - just "my knees".

The other day I received the Meridian Healthviews (Riverview's magazine) in the mail. Thumbing through the magazine I came to an article about a guy who had had a bilateral knee replacement. Reading about this man I though, "Wow, a guy who had a bilateral knee replacement". In the instant that I had that thought I realized that I was thinking of myself as someone who had the original equipment and not anyone who had anything in common with the guy in the article.

I guess that is the ultimate in defining all that a successful bilateral knee replacement surgery can be - my knees are now one with me. Thank you, Dr. Harry Bade, it's been a long time coming but thank you very, very much.

My Best,

C. McLoughlin

Shrewsbury, NJ

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