HEALTH
63
something an engineer could admire.
“Each of my knees needed different-sized parts,” he
said, “and they work very well,” as he got up to demonstrate
that he can easily do squats with his new knees.
The frustrating part was waiting to schedule the
surgeries. Medicine he was taking for his RA hindered
his candidacy for surgery. “They had to wean me off the
medication before the surgery could be scheduled,” he
said. It took quite a bit of time, making Szmyt impatient.
“Once the two surgeries were done, I was back to
work. I never stopped,” he said. “I just hobbled around
with my walker and did six weeks of therapy. If anything,
that is most important. I want to caution people:
It is important to cooperate with these people (physical
therapists). That is how you heal faster.”
After taking the time to recuperate fully, he still does
exercises and maintains the 140-degree arc of movement
he has with these new knees. It makes him feel
like a younger man, he said. During the years he was
able to move only with the help of a walker or an electric
cart, the muscles in his legs had weakened and atrophied.
Following the surgeries, having one replacement
surgery followed three days later by the second surgery,
he had to work hard to rebuild those muscles and his
strength so he could stay on his feet for most of each day
at the factory.
Having the goal of getting up and back to work might
have helped Szmyt recover more quickly. But, again, he
warns those facing the surgery not to fight against the
therapy, but to accept it as it is the best and quickest way
to complete recovery.
Selling Real Estate on the
Treasure Coast since1973
Joyce L. Calvert
OWNER/BROKER
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Realtor of the Year
Realtor Emeritus
An X-ray of
Szmyt’s knee
shows the
function and
placement of
the parts.
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