A Positive Attitude Makes Such a Difference

A few years ago, my husband, George, slipped on the ice and started having lots of problems with his hip. But over the last year, it got worse. Last October, it was really noticeable how bad his hip had gotten. George had a hard time walking from our business to our house, and it became very painful. George went to physician assistant, Ruth McDowell, at Bronson Family Medicine – Blue Star, who referred him to Dr. Mark Nikkel at Bronson Orthopedic & Joint Specialists in South Haven.

At the appointment when looking at the X-ray, Dr. Nikkel knew exactly what was wrong. He confirmed it when he couldn’t straighten George’s leg. It was time for George to have hip replacement on his right hip. After giving us the news,  Dr. Nikkel could tell both George and I were feeling pretty overwhelmed by the thought of surgery. But Dr. Nikkel was so calm, he explained everything so that we understood what would happen during surgery, and how to help us prepare for recovery after surgery. We never felt like we were just a number with Dr. Nikkel. He took the time to make sure we were informed and gave us the opportunity to ask questions. We never expected that we would be treated like this. Dr. Nikkel is so personable. He went beyond being awesome!

George went to Bronson Lakeview Hospital in Paw Paw for his surgery. Dr. Nikkel performed his hip replacement, using the anterior approach. The aftercare was great! The entire staff was tremendous. Not only were they concerned about George and his recovery, but they were also concerned about me. After being discharged, George went to physical therapy at Bronson Rehabilitation Services in South Haven. His therapists, Evan and Joshua, were just fantastic! They were surprised at how well George did. George is feeling great!

It was wonderful, for both George and I, to feel calm and secure through this entire experience.