Catherine's Story
Retired after 40 years in telecommunications customer service, Catherine Chieppa was looking forward to relaxing in Plum, Pennsylvania, with her faithful Shih Tzu, Nica, by her side. But when a routine colonoscopy ended in complications, the 73-year-old’s independence was suddenly in jeopardy.
Catherine arrived at Forbes Hospital in Monroeville expecting a simple outpatient procedure. During a routine colonoscopy, the doctor removed a polyp from her large intestine. Within a week Catherine developed severe abdominal pain and returned to the hospital for emergency surgery to repair a rare but serious complication—a hole had developed where the polyp was removed. She needed another operation to treat a postoperative infection and create a colostomy, an opening in the abdomen that allows waste to pass into a bag while the colon heals.
The multiple surgeries and infection took a toll on Catherine’s health, leading to respiratory complications. To support her breathing while she recovered, doctors performed a tracheostomy, creating a surgical opening in her neck to provide a direct pathway for air to enter her lungs. They also placed a feeding tube to deliver nutrition directly to her stomach. After 39 days in the hospital, Catherine’s case manager recommended she transfer to Select Specialty Hospital – Alle Kiski, a critical illness recovery hospital, for specialized care and additional time to heal.
Catherine still had a tracheostomy, required extra oxygen support to breathe and was on a feeding tube. She was also too weak to walk and needed help to dress. Her physician-led multidisciplinary team at Select Specialty Hospital developed a personalized treatment plan to strengthen her breathing and increase her mobility and independence. “I wanted to go home,” Catherine recalled. “I wanted to get back to walking and taking care of myself and Nica.”
Highly motivated, Catherine worked hard during therapy sessions with her respiratory team. Under the guidance of a pulmonologist, she focused on breathing deeply from her diaphragm and increasing her lung volume and effectiveness through targeted exercises. After two days, the respiratory team started capping trials—covering Catherine’s tracheostomy tube so she was breathing exclusively through her nose and mouth for short, then progressively longer, amounts of time. Three days later, her tracheostomy was removed and she was breathing on her own with minimal oxygen support from a tube under her nose.
Meantime, Catherine’s speech-language pathologist guided her through exercises to strengthen her throat muscles and help her eat again. Just three days after arriving, she progressed from tube feedings to eating soft foods and drinking liquids. One week later, she returned to a regular diet and her feeding tube was removed.
While Catherine progressed with breathing and eating, her physical and occupational therapy teams played an important role in helping her rebuild her strength, range of motion and balance. With the help of her therapists, Catherine started her return to walking by standing and pivoting. Next, her therapists outfitted her with a gait belt, a therapy strap around her waist which allowed them to securely assist her when standing, transferring between surfaces and walking with a walker. Each step brought her closer to home. In preparation, Catherine’s therapist had her practice picking up a 10 pound weight from the floor so she would be ready to care for her dog when they were reunited.
Occupational therapy also played a crucial role in Catherine’s recovery. By working consistently on upper body strengthening with light weights, it didn’t take Catherine long to master dressing and grooming activities.
Her family and friends provided strong support throughout her stay. “They visited regularly, asked lots of questions and kept me motivated. They watched me progress and even learned how to assist me once I returned home.”
Twelve days after arriving at Select Specialty Hospital, Catherine was walking 100 feet, able to climb 10 stairs and confident in her ability to manage her self-care needs. She had reached her goals and looked forward to returning home and reuniting with Nica.
Describing her recovery journey at Select Specialty Hospital as “wonderful,” Catherine recommends the hospital to others facing similar health challenges.
“The staff are caring, the therapists, nurses and aides were a big help in my success,” Catherine said.