Daniel's Story
Retiree and avid fisherman Daniel Hardison, 64, was following doctor’s orders and exercising to get in shape when he suddenly experienced severe abdominal pain. After being taken by ambulance to a nearby emergency room, Daniel’s condition deteriorated and he was transferred to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
There, doctors discovered Daniel had suffered an aortic dissection, a tear in the inner layer of the large blood vessel branching off the heart.
He underwent emergency surgery to repair the dissection, but his recovery was complicated. He couldn’t breathe without a ventilator, his kidneys were failing and he required dialysis. Daniel developed atrial fibrillation, a rapid, irregular heartbeat. Additionally, stomach problems required special nutrition delivered intravenously.
Daniel’s physicians prepared his wife and children that he might not survive.
But throughout 38 days of intensive care, Daniel’s condition gradually improved. He transitioned to tube feeding, regained mental clarity and was liberated from the ventilator. Doctors implanted a pacemaker to address his irregular heartbeat and treated him with antibiotics for an infection.
When Daniel’s condition stabilized and he was ready for the next step in his recovery, he turned to Select Specialty Hospital – Ann Arbor because it was closer to his home and family.
When Daniel arrived at Select Specialty Hospital, the attending physician who admitted him realized immediately that Daniel’s new pacemaker was failing and he was in danger of cardiac arrest. Because of the physician’s quick response, Daniel got another pacemaker that same day at Trinity Ann Arbor Hospital – where Select Specialty Hospital is located – and returned for rehabilitation.
At this point, Daniel’s physician-led multidisciplinary team at Select Specialty Hospital developed a plan focused on helping him regain his independence.
“I wanted to walk again and see my new grandbaby,” he said.
Daniel had a tracheostomy – a tube in his windpipe – that delivered supplemental oxygen. Under the guidance of a pulmonologist, the respiratory therapy team worked to improve Daniel’s respiratory and vocal functions. Within two days, he no longer needed the oxygen and began using a Passy-Muir speaking valve, which attached to his tracheostomy tube. The valve pushed air through his vocal cords, enabling Daniel to speak again while also helping him rebuild core strength.
At the same time, his speech-language pathologist guided him through tongue and vocalization exercises to strengthen his throat muscles so he could eventually eat again. When a special study confirmed he could swallow safely, he started a diet of pureed foods and thin liquids.
Within two weeks, Dan’s tracheostomy tube was removed and, over the course of several additional days, he slowly advanced to eating a normal diet.
Throughout his stay at Select Specialty Hospital, physical and occupational therapists focused on helping Daniel rebuild his strength, balance and coordination toward his goal of walking.
Five and a half weeks after admission, Daniel was ready for the next stage in his rehabilitation at a skilled nursing facility.
“Everyone has been so helpful and good to me. [The nurses] really go out of their way to check on me, help me out and anticipate my needs,” he said of his Select Specialty Hospital care team. “They are patient with me and are wonderful at their jobs.”
Having already beat the odds by surviving the aortic dissection, Daniel was confident he would achieve his goal of walking again and returning home to his family.
“Definitely come here,” he advised other patients, rating his experience a perfect 10. “They really help you toward your goals of recovery. The doctors are good and have a good bedside manner.”