Kerry Lake's Story
A future physician herself, Kerry's experience at WCH helped her fully appreciate the role of pain control in her rapid recovery after surgery.
Last December, Kerry Lake injured her knee during a national ultimate frisbee tournament. As she prepared to undergo orthopedic surgery at Women’s College Hospital, Kerry was nervous: would her recovery be painful?
She chose to participate in a department of anesthesia study testing a new kind of nerve block that manages pain longer and reduces the need for nausea-causing painkillers. When she woke up in the recovery room, she was shocked – and relieved.
“My first thought was, ‘Wow – I don’t feel any pain at all,’” she says. As a medical student at the time, Kerry knew that anesthesiologists play a critical role in helping to manage surgical pain. But until she had to face surgery herself, she didn’t realize just how much of a difference they could make.
Kerry didn’t feel any discomfort in her knee until 36 hours post-surgery, and even then it was mild. She enjoyed a rapid recovery, and today the 28-year-old is back training with her team.
“I couldn’t have asked for better care,” she says. “There wasn’t a moment I felt apprehension or confusion. The anesthesiology team at WCH made sure I was informed at every stage; they were attentive to all aspects of my care, and ensured the whole experience went smoothly for me.”
As a future physician completing her residency in internal medicine at Queen’s University, Kerry’s says her experience at WCH helped her fully appreciate the role of pain control in helping patients make a quick and robust recovery from surgery.
“I was blessed to have benefitted from the services of a superbly skilled and compassionate team. I can’t thank them enough.”
Your generosity today will help patients like Kerry recover faster and get home sooner because of innovations in anesthesia and pain management.