Cristina's Story
Long Island, New York resident Cristina Espiritu juggles family life as a mom to two toddlers with a career in nursing. Accustomed to caring for others, Cristina didn’t anticipate taking on the role of patient when she first noticed tingling in her fingers and toes. But a few days later, the lack of sensation in the 39 year-old’s foot caused a fall down the steps in the home she shares with her partner Orlando, their boys and her mother.
At the hospital, doctors delivered the news that Cristina’s ankle was broken and needed to be reset. Tests were also run regarding the cause of the tingling feeling in her limbs, but they were inconclusive. Cristina returned home but grew increasingly weak and unwell in the following days, ultimately calling emergency services to be transported to Mercy Medical Center. Doctors there determined Cristina was battling a viral infection as well as Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disorder where the body’s immune system attacks the nervous system causing muscle weakness, tingling sensations and, in severe cases, paralysis.
Cristina’s GBS progressed compromising her breathing so doctors surgically created an opening in her windpipe, called a tracheostomy, to place her on a ventilator to breathe. A feeding tube was also placed to deliver nutrition and medication.
“I was paralyzed—unable to breathe, eat, talk or walk on my own,” Cristina recounted, “but I knew I had to have faith and fight… to get back to my kids.”
Cristina’s aunt and uncle, a nurse and neurosurgeon living in Pennsylvania, recommended she transfer to NYU Langone Hospital, Long Island for specialized care in a neuro intensive care unit. After a month of treatment between both hospitals, Cristina stabilized and was ready to focus on recovery. As a nurse, Cristina knew she wanted specialized critical illness recovery care, but she also wanted to be close to family for support. She and her family choose Select Specialty Hospital – Camp Hill in Pennsylvania, for the level of care and proximity to her aunt and uncle. Cristina’s physician-led multidisciplinary care team immediately mapped out a path to get her back home.
“When I arrived at Select Specialty Hospital, I felt like I was frozen in an icicle. I wanted to get off the ventilator—to breathe on my own and talk. I wanted to eat again… I missed food so much. I wanted to know I would walk again. I am a fighter— I knew that with the right care, I would get back to my family,” Cristina said.
Although not able to speak, Cristina took it all in and was bolstered by the recovery goals and plan outlined which included respiratory, speech, physical and occupational therapy. Nearly daily visits by her aunt and uncle also motivated her—“My family is my rock. Having a supportive environment while I was recovering and knowing Orlando and my mom were taking care of the boys back in New York was so important,” Cristina shared.
Respiratory therapists worked to strengthen Cristina’s lungs so she could be freed from the machine. They did this through a carefully monitored and structured process—dialing back the ventilator settings for short then increasingly longer periods of time, allowing Cristina’s lungs to take over the function. Respiratory therapy also fitted Cristina’s tracheostomy with a speaking valve. This one-way valve closed after inhale, forcing the air over her vocal cords and finally giving Cristina her voice back.
“I was so happy when I could finally speak again—it was amazing! That was really a turning point,” Cristina said.
In addition to providing Cristina with a way to vocalize her thoughts, talking with the speaking valve also helped to further strengthen her lungs. Within 10 days of arriving at Select Specialty Hospital, Cristina was freed from the ventilator and six days after that, her tracheostomy was removed and she was breathing completely on her own.
“The momentum picked up when my tracheostomy was removed. I felt stronger and happier every day,” said Cristina. She also looked forward to eating again, and diligently worked with the speech-language pathologist on exercises to strengthen her swallowing muscles, ensuring she wouldn’t inhale food into her airway. When a special swallow study confirmed she was ready to safely progress to eating, Cristina was thrilled, “I missed food so much, you don’t even know!”
Meantime, physical and occupational therapy worked to bring sensation and muscle tone back to Cristina’s core, arms and legs in preparation for her transition to the next level of care. “Initially they worked my arms and legs while I was in bed. Then, the therapists got me sitting up on the side of the bed,” said Cristina. “My back felt so stiff, I was scared to sit up, but they encouraged me and reassured me I could do it—the staff push you, but they do it in a positive and safe way.” Sitting on the edge of the bed with support helped strengthen Cristina’s core muscles and she discovered an added psychological benefit, “I could look out the window.”
After a month at Select Specialty Hospital, Cristina was breathing on her own, talking and eating. Her gains in sensation and muscle tone also signaled she was ready to transition to inpatient rehabilitation close to her home so Orlando, her mom and her boys could visit more easily.
As she prepared for the next step in her journey, Cristina graciously thanked her aunt and uncle for their support and praised the hospital team, “Select Specialty Hospital is amazing, everything and everyone has been life changing!”
To others facing similar challenges, Cristina shared these words of encouragement: “Never ever give up. No matter how many times you fail, you will get it. Just keep going!”