Raymond's Story
Raymond Bishop, 46, worried when he had trouble breathing and decided to drive himself to Mercy Health – St. Joseph Warren Hospital, Warren, Ohio. Doctors there quickly identified a dangerous buildup of fluid in his lungs, a result of an underlying heart condition. They immediately transferred Raymond to Mercy Health – St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital for more advanced care that included emergency open-heart surgery to replace three of his heart valves.
Raymond’s recovery proved more challenging than he anticipated. He was now reliant upon a ventilator, tracheostomy and feeding tube. Meantime, Raymond’s kidneys were unable to effectively filter his blood and he was also placed on dialysis to take over that function for his body.
After 38 days in the hospital, Raymond was stable. His medical team recommended a transfer to Select Specialty Hospital—Boardman, a critical illness recovery hospital where he could regain his strength and independence.
Upon admission, Raymond met with his physician-led interdisciplinary team. Together they developed a personalized recovery plan.
“I clearly remember my first day at Select Specialty Hospital, everyone was very kind,” Raymond said. At that point, I was on a ventilator and feeding tube and couldn’t even turn my body in bed.”
To help him breath independently again, Raymond’s pulmonologist and respiratory therapists began breathing trials, gradually increasing his time off the ventilator while closely monitoring his lung function. Each day, Raymond’s time off the ventilator increased, his breathing improved and his lungs gained strength. Within three days, he was freed from the machine.
The speech therapy team stopped in and attached a Passy-Muir valve to the hub of Raymond’s tracheostomy tube. The valve permits air to pass through a patient’s vocal chords. When Raymond exhaled, he could form words. Therapists also tested Raymond’s ability to swallow. He passed and slowly his team reintroduced food into his diet. He began with liquids, and moved to thicker liquids, pureed foods and eventually, a normal diet.
“It was so encouraging to hit these milestones… getting off the ventilator, eating again and being able to talk… it gave me hope that I would reach my ultimate goal of returning to my home and community,” said Raymond.
Raymond’s physical and occupational therapists worked with him daily to improve his strength, increase his range of motion and enhance his balance. They started by helping him roll in bed--this engaged his core and got his muscles moving. By the end of the first week, he could sit on the edge of his bed with close supervision. Gradually they introduced leg lifts and foot flexing.
“I was sitting on the edge of the bed and my therapist said, ‘I’m going to give you a challenge: I’m going to help you, and you’re going to stand up for three seconds.’ I did it, and the next day, the challenge was standing for nine seconds.”
When Raymond progressed to taking his first steps, he knew he had reached a significant moment in his recovery.
“Every day, I got stronger and soon the challenge was walking to the door with my walker and then walking down the hallway.”
With the support of his occupational therapy team, Raymond strengthened his arms and core, regaining the ability to bathe and dress independently. He also worked on his fine motor skills by practicing writing his name. These were all important steps to getting him ready to return home.
After five weeks of dedicated breathing exercises and careful monitoring by Raymond’s pulmonary team, his tracheostomy tube was removed. During his time at Select Specialty Hospital, Raymond had regained his ability to breath, walk, eat and communicate on his own. Ready to continue his recovery, he transferred to a skilled nursing facility for a couple weeks of additional care before achieving his goal of returning home.
Reflecting on what he described as a “very good experience,” Raymond highly recommended Select Specialty Hospital, saying “This is the place to come and get better.”