How Fast Will I Recover

As my very good friend Alan Ray always says,
“Remember, this is not a race, you have already won, you are now pain free.”

I believe that as patients we tend to have a selective memory when it comes to reading other patients post op stories. We read the super hero recoveries and secretly believe we will be one of them, remembering ONLY the really phenomenal recoveries. I know I did and was extremely disappointed that I was not out running a marathon at three months post op.

Some of the top Doctors share their typical post op re-hab protocols.

I honestly do believe most of us have selective memory and only choose to remember the superstar recoveries. I think the reality is that the majority of patients do recover on the slower side. Many that believe their recoveries are slower choose not to post, thinking they will discourage others from having the surgery. This is MAJOR surgery; we all seem to forget that. If you ever watched one of the videos of a live surgery, you would realize that a lot of trauma goes on during the procedure. With all that happens, our bodies need time to heal.

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Scientific Studies vs. Real Life Experiences: Why I Recommend The Doctors I Do

Doctors have a vast array of scientific studies that they can reference to their advantage even though they may not match their own personal outcomes. When I heard Mr. Treacy speak at a conference I attended, his opening statement was a joke about how the one thing he has learned from studies is that you can really make them turn out pretty much any way you want them to. The response was a thunderous laugh from the huge audience of orthopedic surgeons.

Staying Close to Home Might be a Mistake

A little background: The original post was by a patient that chose a newer doctor that explained to her that he had done approximately 50 surgeries. Out of the 50 he had only 1 problem, and he thought that was pretty good odds.