Skip to main content

BJ Ewell's Recovery Story

Life is sweet again for this avid baker after knee replacement surgery.

In September 2016, I had knee replacement surgery. My wife is a nurse and she told me that if I really wanted to recover the best way – the right way, with the right equipment – that I really needed to choose a rehabilitation center. My surgeon let me know that it was my choice whether to recover at home or at a rehabilitation center, but I felt strongly that inpatient care was a better choice for me. With home health care, you don’t know who you’re going to get, when they’re going to come day to day, and you certainly don’t get the same level of equipment and intensity.

As soon as I had set a date for my surgery, my wife and I began exploring the recovery options in the area. I had previously attended an educational seminar at Springtree Health & Rehabilitation Center. I liked the looks of everything there and decided to take a tour. When my wife and I went on the tour, we were warmly welcomed and everyone was incredibly friendly. When I saw the rehab gym, my first reaction was WOW! I was just blown away at the size of the gym and the amount of equipment. It was huge – more like a health club than what you think of as a rehab gym.

Springtree Health & Rehabilitation Center stood out in all respects, and I chose to preregister there for my recovery. Preregistering made it so they knew when I was coming and everything was all set up for me. It was one less thing to sorry about. The admissions director at Springtree even came to visit me while I was in the hospital to see how I was doing.

From the very beginning, I was very motivated. I told my therapists that whatever they asked me to do, I would do to the best of my ability and give 110% every day. Not only were they highly skilled in their training, they also had the people skills to motivate patients in a way that best suited their personalities. I was amazed at how patient, kind, gentle, and even loving the LifeWorks Rehab therapists were. I have literally seen them get down on their knees to comfort, calm, and work with people. It’s a very personalized and considerate approach.

I especially had fun in my Occupational Therapy sessions. I’m an avid baker and thought I’d play a little joke on the therapists. One day I asked them to show me how to bake a cake. Well, they figured out pretty quickly that I didn’t need a bit of help in the kitchen, but they still let me bake to my heart’s content. 

Another pleasant surprise at Springtree Health & Rehabilitation Center was the food. My wife came to visit almost every day and usually had dinner with me. She really enjoyed it and I did, too. It almost felt like eating out at a restaurant for date night! 

I’m absolutely thrilled at the results I achieved during my stay at Springtree Health & Rehabilitation Center. When I went back to my surgeon for a checkup, he was amazed, too. I was stronger and more flexible than I had been in a very long time thanks to the work I’d done at Springtree.

“My LifeWorks Rehab therapists were absolutely amazing – they knew exactly what I needed and I trusted them implicitly."

BJ Ewell