Healing at the CCC

As a retired electrical engineer, with a love for everything scientific, Julie Levy was very comfortable doing research, analyzing information and finding out answers.

So when it became clear to her that she was in need of shoulder surgery, she decided to attend a free community lecture by Dr. Justin Chang on “Shoulder Repair,” presented by the Lompoc Hospital District Foundation.

Julie was impressed by his lecture and complimented him later on his clarity. She said she was impressed by his outgoing, warm demeanor and intelligence. She decided to choose him as her surgeon and made an appointment at his Lompoc Health – North H Center office.

At Julie’s first consultation, Dr. Chang reviewed her X-ray and recommended she undergo reverse total shoulder replacement, as one of her rotator cuff muscles was fully torn.

Dr. Chang explained that during surgery, he would switch the ball and socket of her humerus to repair her damaged rotator cuff.

During her second consultation appointment, Julie said she asked whether there were alternatives to what she considered drastic action. Dr. Chang gave her enough details to assure Julie that it was “not a one-size-fits-all prosthesis and all precautions would be taken to allow normal function after healing.”

“He told me that this rTSA, or reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, is more successful and long-lasting than any other type of major shoulder repair,” Julie explained.

She was grateful for that information, she said, because she’d had consultations previously with three other surgeons since her fall and subsequent injury in 2018.

“Dr. Chang alleviated my concerns, plus a lot of research on the internet helped,” she explained. “He gives very good responses when you ask questions, which I do a lot of. He gives me information that I want, from X-rays to operative reports, to the plan of action, post-surgery.”

The damage was fairly extensive, but the surgery went well, she said. She spent three days in LVMC’s Medical-Surgical unit prior to her transfer to the Comprehensive Care Center.

“They took very good care of me,” she says of the hospital. “They were attentive to all of my needs, everything from alleviating pain to dietary restrictions to going to the bathroom.”

Because the shoulder surgery left her right shoulder immobilized for six to eight weeks, and she was right-handed, Julie said she knew it would be difficult to return home until she was healed. She was particularly eager to have her post-operative care at the CCC. She had been a CCC patient in 2015 for about two weeks, following a sports injury that shattered both her wrists. She said it was a “positive experience.”

After surgery and while she recovered at the CCC, a bulky brace and sling rigidly immobilized her arm all day and night, with her elbow kept at a right angle. Two times each weekday, she received Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy at the CCC.

Ultimately, she was a resident of the CCC for 52 days.

During her time at the facility, Julie said she knew the staff had rules to follow, so she created her own guideline for behaving well – compliance, cheerfulness and cooperativeness – to mimic the three “C’s” in the facility’s name.

“Those are my three C’s to be at the Comprehensive Care Center,” she said. “Also, I learn everybody’s names. I think that’s one way to establish connection. Having that smile, that sincere gratitude for whatever they do and greeting them enthusiastically by their names while looking them in the eyes, goes far in making them feel good in what they do. The staff is well trained, caring. They’re not trying to rush you. They’re very good to me, and from what I’ve observed, good to everybody.”

While at the CCC, Julie was concerned that it would be difficult for the facility to accommodate her vegan lifestyle. But she found, to her delight, that Director of Food and Nutrition Services Norman Skau and other staff worked diligently to provide her the vegan nutrition she sought, going as far as to make special trips to the grocery store to find appropriate foods such as plant-based protein power.

During her recovery, Julie was also an active participant in the Activity Room offerings. She played bowling with a giant Styrofoam bowling ball and did crafts using her left hand, and got her fingernails painted. She also participated in “brain teasers” and batted around a large bouncing balloon with other residents.

“It’s something to do and a way to feel entertained,” she said.

Away from the Activity Room, Julie said she enjoyed reading and taking her time eating the nutritious meals. She also used her feet to roll her wheelchair outdoors and sit in the sun in the small, enclosed courtyard where she could sit alone and enjoy the solitude.

Throughout her stay at the CCC, Julie had visits from friends and enjoyed getting to know other residents. She was also pleased to know her recovery had progressed well enough to be discharged home.

“I’m looking forward to going home, going for outdoor walks and visiting the health club,” she said while still a CCC resident. “But I will miss this wonderful place and all the people here, as it has been a very positive experience.”

In her time since leaving the CCC, Julie said she felt well enough to get ample outdoor exercise, gaining strength in her legs after being confined to a wheelchair most of the time at CCC. She has been enjoying eating a variety of foods, shopping, visiting with friends, and going to local civic events, including a visit to the open house Cabrillo High School Aquarium, a concert, the Cypress Art Gallery, and club meetings.

She said she has been enjoying the freedom – and ability – to do whatever she wants now that she has healed.

“I will always think with immense gratitude of the wonderful people who cared for me during the process of repair and long process of recuperation,” she said.