I have been working with bodies for so long now, and I am well-known here in Brevard County, and when there is a situation involving pain of surgery, my people often call on me for more than massage work. I also help some of these clients as they are preparing for or recovering from surgery. Why would one of my clients ask me to do this? I am a combination of Massage Therapists, exercise instructor and caregiver. I have had clients who were already used to me touching them and handling their body on a regular basis. The thought of having to trust new people can give them anxiety,especially if they have never had surgery to l or worse. if they had a bad experience with hospital stays in the past.
Recently I have been working with a client who is recovering from Knee Surgery. As someone who has been down this road before, I know what things should be put into place before the surgery even happens. For Example:
- One of the first things to cover is making sure that your name is on the privacy HIPAA forms. If you need to pick up additional prescriptions or speak to their Doctors you must be listed
- Make sure their house is as ready as possible for them to return to. . This might mean bars put in for stabilizing and loose rugs are picked up. If there is a need for assistive devices such as walker, or wheel chairs, or shower chairs , be sure to place the order. Then you can either pick it up the way home from the hospital or have them set up in advance.
- I also attended the educational class for patients and caregiver’s that took place the day after surgery and the patients and caregiver’s had to attend together.
It was very informative. If the facility your patients surgery is in doesn’t offer this as a standard part of post-op, I have a suggestion. Ask to meet with the hospital or surgical centers Physical Therapist. The will most likely have the PT come to the room and explain things to you. Always remember to listen, and be respectful of the Physical Therapists. Never disagree or act like you know more than that PT. They have way more experience with surgery patients and know how the doctor’s treatment plan is to be managed.
Val Boonstra
CNA, exercise instructor, pilates, tai chi, qi gong and post operative care in Brevard County
