Before Sandi arrived at the NMC Health Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit (IRU), life for this Valley Center neighbor was starting to feel a little smaller every day.
Severe knee and back pain had turned simple tasks into major hurdles. “Getting out” was a rare event that she couldn’t manage alone. When she did leave the house, it was with her husband, Bill, by her side. When they went to Sam’s Club or Costco, she relied on a cane or a shopping cart to help her navigate the aisles and stay on her feet.
She knew she needed a knee replacement, but there was a significant challenge standing in her way.
A path built just for her
Because of concerns with her lungs, her pulmonologist advised against general anesthesia. They felt “going under” for surgery was simply too risky.
That is where Dr. J. Scott Pigg of NMC Health Orthopedics and Sports Specialists and the surgical team stepped in.
“There was a chance that the worst could happen,” Sandi says.
Instead of a “one-size-fits-all” approach, Dr. Pigg worked with her to find a safer way forward. He performed her surgery using two specialized nerve blocks and a small amount of local anesthesia.
“I was so impressed with him,” she shared. “He was willing to do whatever was best for me.”
Recovery that feels like family
After a successful surgery, she moved into the IRU to start the hard work of getting back on her feet. Even though she lives in Valley Center, she and her husband chose to bypass larger city hospitals to come to Newton. To them, the difference is the people.
“Everyone here feels like family,” she says. “You can go out into the hall and know what’s going on in anyone’s life, and they know yours, too.” In our rehab unit, the hallways are filled with staff who tease each other like siblings and truly care about the person behind the patient gown.
The power of a "normal" day
Recovery is built on small wins that feel huge. For this patient, the biggest breakthrough wasn’t a medical chart—it was a shower.
The first time she was able to wash her hair and get ready all by herself, everything changed. All soaped up with clean hair and brushed teeth–that moment of independence didn’t just make her feel better, it made her feel normal again. It was the sign she needed that her life was finally opening back up.
Heading home
Now, she is focused on her ultimate goal. She isn’t just working to walk; she is working to get back to her favorite chair by the window. She can’t wait to get home to Valley Center, fill up her birdfeeders, and watch the bright red cardinals land in her yard.
We are so proud of her strength and grateful she trusted Dr. Pigg, his surgical team, and our rehabilitation team with her journey. We’ll miss her in our hallways, but we are even happier knowing she is heading back to the things—and the birds and the life—she loves.
