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Keep getting postponed
Gerda van Hunnik-van Wijk (83) had to wait ten months for a new hip due to corona. “I lost almost a year. And that while the clock is ticking extra hard at my age. I found that very difficult.
All the more so because I am a very active type. I consoled myself with the thought that due to the pandemic I would probably have been confined to home for a long time even without complaints. But it was heavy. At the beginning of 2020 I increasingly fell through my left hip and I was in a lot of pain. The GP referred me to a specialist. In April I received a telephone intake, in May a physical examination at the outpatient clinic showed that I needed a new hip. I could barely walk, but because of corona, the operation was always postponed. Finally, it was my turn in March 2021.
After two days in hospital and two weeks of rehabilitation I was back on my feet and I could go home. I immediately resumed my daily walking routine. Cycling and driving also succeeded quickly. What a freedom! Unfortunately, soon after the procedure my other hip started to play up. It must have been overloaded due to the long wait. A second operation proved unavoidable. It took place at the end of August. Corona has made my life quite miserable in several ways. But it was no different. Fortunately, the final concern was no less. It didn’t bother me that I was not allowed to receive many visitors in the hospital or during rehabilitation. I got along just fine with my iPad and video calling.”
This interview was published in Plus Magazine in December 2021. In it, hospital director Bart Berden also explained how hospitals are trying to restart after the pressure of the pandemic. What will be the new normal in the hospital? Read more here.