Kevin Connelly's Story

Kevin Connelly of Holbrook was a star hockey player in high school. But he suffered an injury at that time which required knee surgery.

It would be more than 30 years before the lingering effects of that high school injury would become an issue for Kevin.  Over the years, the pain in his knee increased to the point where he couldn’t stand or remain in one position for long.  It kept him from sleeping at night.

“The pain got so bad I knew I couldn’t live like that any more,” Kevin explained.  “At 52, I thought I was too young for a knee replacement.  But my doctor talked me into it, and I’m sure glad he did.”

Kevin underwent a total knee replacement at South Shore Hospital, followed by a rehabilitation program designed especially to meet his specific needs.

“I wasn’t looking forward to it, but the surgery went smoothly and having it done at South Shore Hospital made it easy,” said Kevin.  “The nursing care in the hospital afterward was unbelievable, and the folks over at outpatient rehab are the best.”

Kevin was surprised when his rehab program began at his hospital bedside shortly after surgery, then continued at home, and went on to include outpatient rehab.  “It wasn’t always easy, but it worked,” he explained.  “Those people know what they are doing.  They kept me motivated and really cared about my progress.”

Life has changed for Kevin since his surgery.  As a driver for the T, Kevin has to sit for hours at a time, which was extremely painful for him prior to the knee replacement.

“Now I can sit, stand, walk, bend, kneel, whatever it takes,” said Kevin.  “I’m like a new man.”