Testimonial - Caring and Convenient Surgery

I'm Carolyn Cotton and I live in Volga, South Dakota. My husband lives there with me. We have three sons and they all live around the area. I've lived there since we were married way back in 1959.

Complete Knee Replacement

I had my complete knee replacement at the Brookings Health System. My doctor was Dr. Suga from the orthopedic clinic. Because he worked with bones and arthritis and all those aches and pains, I have gone to him several times over the last 10 or 12 years.

Advantages of Local Surgery

If doctors are doctoring, coming to doctor here, people should know that they can have an option to use the Brookings Health System. It was nice to be able to have family stop in and they didn't have to travel all the way South. It was convenience.

Pain Management

They ask you probably every hour, they ask you, "How's the pain? Do you need any more pain meds?" And so really, while I was in the hospital, it was taken care of with the pain meds and they also massaged my legs and that helped a lot.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy started that day. They came and got you moving around and I had physical therapy twice a day right off the bat. I was up out of the bed the next day and there's also an occupational therapy that came. I couldn't leave the hospital until I knew how to dress myself and do my own makeup and all the personal things that you think a piece of cake but it's not.

First time I tried to walk, I couldn't. It's just like, you can't really walk, it was really weird. But by the end of the day, I was doing the right steps and doing it okay then.

Swing Bed

And because I live in a house that's split level and has steps that I have to go up to get in the house or down to get into the basement, they let me do the swing bed and that's another thing that I thought was awesome, to be able to stay in the same room.You sign papers and you're automatically into the swing bed. So then I stayed another five days.

Caring Staff

Those nurses are great and they do get you settled in before the surgery, try to make you comfortable and make it so you're not nervous and afterwards, the care was awesome. They really do care.

History with Brookings Health System

 I had all my children there, my grandchildren have all seven of them been born there and my two great-grandchildren have been born there and so I have spent a lot of time there and I know that they take good care of you.

Would You Recommend Surgery at Brookings Health System?

I would recommend Brookings Health System to anybody that is looking for surgery, especially the ones that the doctors are already here coming to Brookings besides the ones that are already here in the Health System, of course. It's just convenient and I would recommend it to anybody that come and talk to me. I would recommend it to anybody.