Rico's Story
Before Guillain-Barre syndrome changed everything, Rico Booker had a full life. At 54, he was a service manager for a lamination business, a devoted husband to his high school sweetheart, Tonia, and a proud father and grandfather. Life revolved around family: weekend family camping trips, cookouts by the fire and relaxing at home on their acre of land, complete with a pool and hot tub. “Everything we do is for our family,” Rico said.
But late in the summer, something felt off. It began with a headache, then neck pain followed by numbness in his arms and legs. The next day, walking felt strange and overall fatigue set in. As Rico’s symptoms worsened, Tonia drove him to the hospital where doctors diagnosed him with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves.
Rico’s health declined quickly. He lost movement in his limbs, couldn’t eat or speak and, eventually, struggled to breathe on his own. Rico spent weeks at Good Samaritan Hospital, as his condition deteriorated to critical. He underwent a tracheostomy and a feeding tube placement and doctors connected Rico to a ventilator to help him breathe. Multiple rounds of intravenous immunoglobulin treatments helped by introducing healthy antibodies into his system, but progress was slow and his condition began to cascade – his lungs collapsed, pneumonia set in and anxiety about being on the ventilator overwhelmed him. It was a rollercoaster ride, but once the medication tamped down his infection, Rico stabilized again.
Rico was ready for the next level of care. For that, Tonia chose Select Specialty Hospital – Cincinnati, a critical illness recovery hospital which offered continued medical support, healing and recovery time.
When Rico transitioned to Select Specialty Hospital, he was on a ventilator, had a tracheostomy and feeding tube. He needed help for every activity. Rico’s physician-led care team developed a personalized treatment plan that would put him on the path to returning home.
Nursing played a key role in the early days of his stay. They focused on getting him out of bed twice a day –sitting upright helped him breathe better and started strengthening the muscles needed for balance. The team also monitored his ongoing IV drips of immunoglobulin and kept him as comfortable as possible holding his hand as he began learning to breathe on his own again.
Respiratory therapy was a major focus from day one. Rico’s lungs were weak and his anxiety high. He was uneasy about breathing without the support of the ventilator so the process for freeing him from the ventilator would be gradual. Rico’s respiratory team talked him through the steps they would take. They slowly dialed back his ventilator support in increasingly longer bursts, letting his lungs and diaphragm take over, strengthening the organs and muscles used in breathing. Progress was slow, but steady. After 50 days, Rico came off the ventilator completely and his trach was removed just a week later.
The speech therapy team wanted to give Rico his voice back. A speech-language pathologist attached a speaking or Passy-Muir valve to his tracheostomy tube. The device redirects his air coming out of the lungs up and through the vocal cords, allowing him to talk despite having the tracheostomy tube in place.
Rico’s speech therapist also helped him return to a standard diet, even before he could speak. He participated in a special swallowing test, called a FEES, where a tiny, flexible camera was inserted through his nose and into the back of his throat. The test showed no issues with the muscles used for swallowing and Rico was cleared to begin eating solid foods and thin liquids immediately.
Meantime, physical therapy worked to expand Rico’s range of motion. Therapists gently stretched his arms and legs and began strengthening his core with exercises at the edge of the bed. Sitting upright with his eyes open then closed, helped Rico build his muscles and balance. The Arlo total lift bed was next. Strapped into the bed as it titled upright, Rico practiced putting weight on his weakened legs in a controlled manner.
“That bed was a game changer,” Rico said. “It reinvigorated me and changed my outlook on my condition.” Sixty days after coming to Select Specialty Hospital, Rico was able to stand for the first time since he fell ill.
Occupational therapy started small, positioning Rico’s hands with soft braces to prevent them from curling. His fingers were tight, and he couldn’t grasp anything at first. Therapists used foam grips so he could hold utensils and worked on functional tasks that wouldn’t overtax Rico. He then developed hand and arm strength with a range of exercises: using resistive sponges, placing pegs in a board and pedaling an arm bike. Rico’s favorite activity was hitting a balloon while seated, it built his endurance, strength and made him smile. Rico continued practicing with his hands until he reached a breakthrough—successfully picking up a potato chip and feeding himself for the first time.
Tonia was a constant presence throughout Rico’s stay. “She kept me sane and motivated,” he said. “She is my rock.” Alongside Tonia was a team of supportive staff members that Rico remembers fondly. “The physical therapy assistant … I trusted her even when I didn’t fully trust what we were working on. She helped me push through my fears.” He also called out his “amazing” respiratory therapist, he “felt for me and showed understanding” during Rico’s ventilator trials.
After 111 days at Select Specialty Hospital, Rico was a new man. No longer scared, immobile and silent. He could breathe on his own, eat solid food, talk, care for himself and stand. There was still work ahead, but Rico was determined and ready to get back to his wife, their grandchildren and the life he loved.