A Lifesaver for People in Pain

Article submitted by Robin Lofton of Easter Seals.
For more information, she can be reached at 303 233-1666, ext. 249 or visit their website: www.eastersealscolorado.org.

Although it was 13 years ago, Carmen Terpin remembers it like it was yesterday. Her doctor was blunt. He told her that within a year, she wouldn't be able to walk. Degenerative arthritis had left her with no cartilage in her knees. Her doctor said that since she was only in her early fifties, she was too young for knee replacement surgery. She might as well get used to a wheelchair.

Even though walking was very painful, she was not ready to give in. "I knew about Easter Seals because my mother was paraplegic and she used the Easter Seals warm water pool in California" said Terpin. "She could swim and exercise in that pool and it made her feel better. That's when I decided to use the Easter Seals pool here in Denver."

For eight years, Terpin used the warm water therapy pool to reduce the pain and maintain mobility in her knees. She was determined to keep walking. When her doctor told her she was a candidate for knee surgery in 2000, she did not hesitate to have her left knee joint replaced. Within a week she was back in the pool, exercising her new knee.

The warm water therapy significantly reduced her pain and accelerated her healing. Four months later, she had her right knee joint replaced with even faster results. "The pool reduced the pain so much that I didn't even need pain medication," said Terpin. Now, five years later, Terpin leads an active and full life. She continues to enjoy the warm water therapy pool at Easter Seals Colorado in Lakewood at least three times a week. "Thanks to Easter Seals, I can walk, swim, and even do water aerobics" she said. "It's been a life saver."

The Easter Seals Colorado warm water therapy pool is open to anyone. Classes range from light cardiovascular exercises to high intensity aerobic workouts. At a constant temperature of 94-96 degrees, the warm water pool helps people recover from injuries, reduce pain, or just feel better.