Participant Spotlight: John

John is 74 years old and joined the Surgery Hero programme while awaiting a total knee replacement. He tells us how regular exercise, along with the support and encouragement of his coach, helped him to manage the pain in his knee and improved his gait when walking. He now intends to make regular exercise a part of daily life and has his sights set on walking 5 miles!

Could you tell us a bit about your health journey so far?

​​Having attended the orthopaedic clinic in June last year I was offered right knee replacement surgery and later invited by the Dudley Hospital Trust to take part in the Surgery Hero programme before the operation. I joined in October and was particularly interested in the fitness aspect above the other options. As I said at the time, the fact that I had a coach gave me the motivation to ensure I adhered to the programme.

What positive changes have you noticed since starting the programme?

The extra effort I put in lowered the pain level experienced in everyday activities. It also improved my gait when walking and made me realise how much I favoured my "good" leg. Although walking can still be painful and slow the problem is confined to my right knee. I intend to carry on exercising until I have my knee replacement and later during recovery. My goal is to be able to walk 5 miles at a reasonable speed without pain or limping.

What have you learned about yourself throughout the process?

I have learned that it is possible for me to adhere to a programme over an extended period and that general exercise (not just the affected knee) is beneficial. Thank you very much for your patience, encouragement, help and guidance — I'm really glad I joined the programme.