Bonnie Moats leaves hospital after knee replacement

Bonnie Sue Nicholson Moats, Class of 1960, who lives in Rustburg, Virginia, is leaving the hospital after her June 29 knee replacement.

Bonnie Nicholson Moats
1960 yearbook photo

Writes Bonnie:

“I am being dismissed today (Thursday, July 2). I will be going to Mary's home until the 14th, then will return home. In 6 weeks, I will go back to see the doctor.” Dr. Klein.

Bonnie returned to her home July 16th, but still has weeks of rehab. Been there, done that. It's tough, but you have to see the light at the end of the tunnel when the pain is gone that you had before the knee replacement.

She should be doing the Irish jig long before her Feb. 10 birthday. From my experience, rehab is about six weeks of pain but, if you do it right, the pain before the surgery becomes a faded memory. It’s a tradeoff I’d make again in a heartbeat. And it doesn’t inhibit my golf swing, either. J

 

Bonnie is among 4.7 million Americans with a knee replacement, including me about a decade ago.

 

Bonnie was a school principal for 21 years at White Hall Elementary, Dunbar Elementary, Jayenne Elementary and Blackshere Elementary. She was a Monongah Elementary Title 1 Math Teacher with Ramona Fullen Michalski, Class of 1949, who lives in Monongah, as Bonnie’s aide.

 

Bonnie was a majorette who married Fairmont State football hero John Moats, a Fairmont East grad. John was a construction engineer for Consolation Coal Company. They lived in Monongah for 15 years, later built a house in White Hall.

 

When her husband passed away in 2005, Bonnie sold her house and, after two other residences and four years, she moved to Rustburg, Virginia, 5 minutes from son John Todd and daughter-in-law Michelle. They gave her three grandchildren --  Ciara Brooke, Logan Wesley and Lucas Michael Moats.