I had knee replacement surgery and, as with every surgery I have had in the past, I was very apprehensive. I had asked my friends about any experiences they or a loved one had with this type of surgery. Monika Noll who I went to nursing school with, found out that I was going to have this surgery and reached out to me. She said that she worked on 4 Lime and that if I had any questions she would be more than happy to help me. I graduated from nursing school with Monika in 1983 and had not been in contact with her for years, but she still went above and beyond the call of duty with reaching out and the subsequent many ways she helped me.
Monika encouraged me to attend the class the hospital offers for people about to have the knee replaced, which I did with my husband. After class, Monika met us, provided me with a wheelchair, and gave me a tour of the unit. She introduced me to some of the staff members, showed me a typical room, and showed me the Physical Therapy Department. It helped me so much to be able to see where I would be recovering and to meet some of the people who would possibly be taking care of me after surgery.
In addition, Monika visited me a few times after surgery to see how I was doing. She was a fountain of knowledge and she answered all of the questions that I had concerning recovery. Although I am a nurse, this is definitely not my specialty, so her knowledge and patience in answering my many questions were invaluable. I really believe that because of her involvement in my recovery I was able to heal without complications. The more that I knew about what to expect before and after surgery helped ease my anxiety and I recovered successfully. They say knowledge is power and Monika gave me that power so that I could face the rehabilitation that was crucial to my recovery. She is an invaluable member of the 4 Lime team and very deserving of this recognition.