Cynthia's Story
Cynthia Nichols has transformed lives throughout her adult life.
The 72-year-old retired physical education teacher motivated students for 33 years before becoming a volunteer who drove the elderly to their medical appointments. On the side, she raises money for a local non-profit organization and enjoys joining activities with friends.
Her active lifestyle was put on hold when Cynthia got ill. Her niece took to her Northside Hospital in Atlanta.
“It came all of a sudden. I started coughing up some phlegm and had trouble breathing,” Cynthia recalled.
Cynthia’s condition worsened upon arrival and doctors began digging into the cause. Turns out, she had severe sepsis and respiratory failure brought on by a lung infection.
“They requested permission to put the (endotracheal) tube in my throat. After that I don’t remember anything,” Cynthia said.
Cynthia spent a month in an induced coma. A ventilator helped her breathe, chest tubes drained excessive fluids and a feeding tube provided nutrition and medication. While sedated, she underwent surgery to replace her breathing tube with a tracheostomy (trach), which is safer and more comfortable for patients on a ventilator.
After waking from the coma and spending a total of seven weeks at Northside Hospital, Cynthia stabilized and transitioned to Select Specialty Hospital – Midtown Atlanta, a critical illness recovery hospital that offers extended healing to patients recovering from catastrophic illness or injury.
Upon admission, Cynthia was unable to eat, walk or talk on her own. She could breathe without the ventilator but still received supplemental oxygen through her trach. Her physician-led multidisciplinary team collaborated on a treatment plan that included respiratory, speech, physical and occupational therapy, in addition to 24/7 nursing care.
Now the student instead of the teacher, Cynthia struggled with motivation early in her stay at Select Specialty Hospital.
“When I first came here, I was angry at the whole world,” Cynthia said. “I was having trouble moving my hands and legs. I wanted to drink something so badly but I couldn’t. I couldn’t walk or talk or eat anything.”
Her nurses and therapists played a key role in motivating Cynthia.
“They all kept encouraging me to move forward, to not give up,” Cynthia said. “They treated me like more than just a patient.”
Cynthia’s first milestone came just six days after she arrived. Until now, she had to write on a notepad to communicate. When a therapist attached a special valve to her trach that pushed air through her vocal cords, Cynthia regained her ability to speak. At first, Cynthia’s voice was weak and a study of her throat showed reduced movement in her vocal cords but Cynthia continually practiced breathing and speaking exercises. Soon, she could greet her care team with “good morning” or “hi” or even jesting with them.
Cynthia also worked toward rebuilding her independence in physical and occupational therapy sessions. Initially Cynthia was so weak from her prolonged hospitalization that therapists focused on range of motion exercises as she lay in bed. Cynthia soon progressed to balancing herself on the edge of the bed and exercising from that upright position, including leg lifts or reaching in different directions.
Cynthia used stretch bands to improve her upper body strength and coordination, and as she regained movement, she began practicing activities of daily living such as showering, dressing and brushing her teeth.
Eating was still a hurdle. Cynthia struggled with dysphagia, which is difficulty swallowing, a condition that resulted from her weakened throat muscles. Every day she practiced throat and tongue exercises to regain strength in those muscles. She failed four tests that measured her ability to swallow safely before finally passing the test.
Though it wasn’t the Chick-Fil-A BBQ chicken sandwich Cynthia craved, 99 days after her visit to the emergency room, Cynthia was able to begin eating again, starting with a diet of minced foods and thickened liquids.
With each milestone came increased motivation. Cynthia learned to move and propel herself in a wheelchair. She made phone calls, sent text messages and played her favorite card game -- bridge -- on her iPad. She enjoyed fresh air when her nurses and therapists took her outdoors.
After 73 days at Select Specialty Hospital and four months of total hospitalization, Cynthia achieved her goals to talk, breathe and begin eating again. She no longer needed her feeding tube and she could take a few steps with a walker.
Cynthia transitioned to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital to continue her recovery, focusing on improving her ability to walk and eat.
As she reflected on her journey, Cynthia offered advice that she no doubt had given her students thousands of times throughout her career. That was “to keep trying, not to give up,” she said.