Knee Replacement—How I Chose My Surgeon: Part 4
How To Identify An Athletically-Empathic Surgeon.
I’m lucky to live in Salt Lake City. There are 10 ski resorts nearby, and there are opportunities for an active lifestyle year-round. Because of that, there are many top surgeons here who put athletes back together when they get injured or need replacement parts.
Correspondent Harriet Wallis chose Dr. Beck from Salt Lake City for many reasons that made sense to her.
Credit: Harriet Wallis
But when I needed to have my knees replaced, I wanted to choose the right doctor for me. My list of questions helped me differentiate between the five surgeons I interviewed. Here’s the essence of just three of my questions and how the doctors’ answers focused my decision.
Do my knees need to be replaced? When?
           Doctor X: Yes, they need replaced — when you’re ready.
Doctor Beck: When the quality of your life is gone, and you can’t do the things you want to do, it’s time. Do it while you’re still active enough to get the best outcome and get back to the things you want to do.
What’s your surgery technique?
           Doctor Y said: I do the surgery this way. I do it this way all the time. I never vary from doing it this way.
Doctor Beck said: This is what I plan to do. But when I get into your knee I might find something that doesn’t show up on the x-rays and I’ll have to take care of it — but “I don’t want to hurt you any more than I have to.”
Can I ski?
           Doctor Z said: I wouldn’t ski anymore.
Doctor Beck said: “You’re darn tootin’ you can ski!” Pick good snow days, take some breaks, and you probably should stay out of the moguls.
For many reasons, this was the right surgeon for me.
     Good luck finding the right surgeon for you.
Editor’s Note: This is a 5-part series in which SeniorsSkiing’s correspondent Harriet Wallis describes her knee replacement journey with tips to guide you if you’re anticipating knee replacement. Part 1: Inspired by a ski patroller with artificial knees. Part 2: Research 101 – why and how to do it. Part 3: Interviewing the docs.  Upcoming Part 5: Rehab and why to love it.
Free Skiing For Seniors: A Directory From Skiing History Magazine
There are dozens of ski areas that offer free skiing to seniors.
Join the ISHA to receive Ski History Magazine
SeniorsSkiing.com’s partner, the International Ski History Association, has just published an incredibly valuable resource for senior skiers.  In the November-December 2014 issue of Skiing History Magazine, there’s a directory of where seniors can ski for free or for discounts in North America.  Thanks to ISHA President (and Seniorsskiing.com Advisory Council Member) Seth Masia for this important information.  Consider joining ISHA to receive Skiing History and other benefits such as DVDs and subscriptions to popular skiing magazine.  Also a nice gift for ski buffs.
Move It! Get Fit Your Way With Silver Sneakers
Nationwide Health Insurance Program Supports Senior Fitness.
Tune yourself up for ski season and beyond. Get started by checking your health insurance plan to see if it includes Silver Sneakers. It’s a nationwide program sponsored by many health insurance plans, and it encourages older adults to get fit in whatever way they want to.
Correspondent Harriet Wallis loves her Silver Sneakers aerobics class.
Credit: Harriet Wallis
Silver Sneakers gives you access to gyms where you can walk on the treadmill, swim laps, stretch with yoga, lift weights and work out with certified instructors. You may also enjoy community-based programs that include everything from line dancing to boot camp. There are 12,000 Silver Sneaker facilities across the country. Find one near you and get going.
For me, I enjoy an aerobics class designed for seniors. It gets the heart rate up and the joints moving – but the class does it gently. My classmates and I are a heap of replacement parts. We’re full of metal hips, knees and shoulders. The instructor understands, and when she introduces a new move that’s too hard for some of us, we make adaptations. Nobody laughs. We’re all there for the fun of it and to keep our bodies moving.
But we “mambo” and we “grapevine.” We huff and we puff. We feel like prima donnas because we face a mirror and we can see ourselves. But we’re all wearing T-shirts, not tutus!
Silver Sneakers allows you to choose the exercise programs you like.
Credit: Harriet Wallis
Classes also offer the benefit of socializing with others of like age before and after class. Just for fun, our class goes to lunch once a month. The recent lunch reminder email said:  “We go right after class with sweat and no make-up. So far we have never been turned away looking and smelling of exercise.”
Many seniors fear trying something new because their heads fill up with negative thoughts such as: Will the class be too hard? What should I wear? Will I fit in? Skip those thoughts.
Find a Silver Sneakers program near you. Put on your sneakers and get going. Now.
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