Paul's Story
Paul Hettinger, 80, was never content to sit still. Instead, the Mullica Hill, New Jersey, resident made a point to fill his days working in the yard or fixing appliances around the house he shared with his wife, Margaret. But one evening after mowing the lawn, he told Margaret he was unusually tired and was going to bed early. When he reappeared a half hour later saying he didn’t feel well, she insisted they go to the hospital.
When Paul didn’t resist, Margaret knew something was seriously wrong.
“It was a seven-minute drive to Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill’s emergency department,” she recalled. “They started him on oxygen under his nose. Then, they placed an oxygen mask on him, but he was so short of breath that they had to put him on a ventilator.”
Doctors determined Paul had myasthenia gravis, a rare autoimmune disorder that causes the body to attack and block communication between nerves and muscles. In Paul’s case, the affected muscles controlled his breathing. During the next 15 days, efforts to remove Paul from the ventilator were unsuccessful. His social workers then recommended a transfer to Select Specialty Hospital – Atlantic City, a facility specializing in helping patients regain the ability to breathe on their own.
Initially, Margaret was hesitant to move Paul farther from home. But after speaking with the hospital’s clinical liaison, she changed her mind.
“The hospital liaison helped me realize that it was an easy drive with very little traffic, she said, and definitely the level of care that Paul needed. “Paul is such an outgoing, active person. I had to try something else to try to get him back.”
When Paul arrived at Select Specialty Hospital, he was unable to breathe, talk, walk or eat on his own. He also struggled with cognitive deficits that complicated his recovery. His physician-led multidisciplinary team developed a personalized treatment plan to help him reach his goals of independence and to return home.
“I wanted to get Paul off the ventilator and get him walking so that he could get back to the person he was before this all happened,” Margaret said.
Although he was initially confused and agitated, Paul slowly began to improve, staying awake longer and moving more frequently.
“The nurses sat and talked with him to keep him oriented and focused,” Margaret said. “Twenty days into his stay, there was a certain look in his face -- like a glimmer. That’s when I knew he was coming back.”
Under the guidance of a pulmonologist, the respiratory therapy team started daily spontaneous breathing trials, gradually increasing their length to make Paul’s lungs work harder and get stronger. Each day, Paul’s breathing improved. After 31 days, Paul was liberated from the ventilator, a milestone his family had only hoped was possible.
At the same time, Paul’s speech-language pathologist guided him through exercises to strengthen his throat muscles so he could eat again. Once a special study confirmed he could safely swallow, Paul began a diet of soft, bite-sized food and thickened liquids. His feeding tube was removed the same day.
Paul’s physical and occupational therapy teams also played an important role in helping him rebuild his strength, range of motion and balance. Physical therapy initially focused on bed mobility and sitting balance before progressing to leg strengthening and endurance training. Within four weeks, Paul stood and took his first steps. As Paul’s strength returned, he continued to progress. By discharge, he could walk 64 feet with some assistance when needed.
“The rehab team was amazing,” Margaret said. “They worked with Paul to get him from needing two people to sit up, to walking the hallways with their help.”
Occupational therapy played an important role in his recovery as well. When Paul first arrived, he needed maximum assistance for daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, toileting and grooming. Through consistent therapy that targeted his upper body strength, balance and mobility, he made steady progress toward regaining independence.
Just 39 days after arriving, Paul had defied expectations. As he prepared to transfer to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital to continue building on his gains, Margaret expressed deep gratitude for the staff she believed routinely went above and beyond expectations.
“They treated us like family,” she said. “They are so dedicated to patient care, and the outpouring of love was just immense.”
Looking back on her husband’s journey, Margaret said she would absolutely recommend Select Specialty Hospital to other families seeking care for their loved ones.
“Don’t hesitate to go to Select – it’s the best decision you’ll ever make,” she said through tears. “The staff’s care and concern are unmistakable. They gave my husband back to me.”