Tennessee mom rebuilds life after head-on collision
As a working mom of two young children, Crystal Lane, 41, managed the demands of motherhood and her job as a utilization review nurse by working out with her husband a few times a week and spending time outdoors. Nothing could have prepared the Tennessee woman for the life-changing health challenges that lay ahead.
While driving to the grocery store with her 4-month-old son, Ace, Crystal’s car was hit head on, then spun around and struck again from the side.
Severely injured, she was flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, along with her son whose suffered fractures in both thighs. There, doctors discovered Crystal had a traumatic brain injury that resulted in brain bleeds and mini strokes. She also had broken her left upper jaw, breastbone and nine ribs. One of the ribs punctured her left diaphragm. In addition to breaking bones in her legs and feet, she fractured a vertebra and her pelvis. She also had to lacerations to her spleen, liver, and small and large intestines. To give her bowel time to heal, doctors performed an ostomy, creating an opening in Crystal’s stomach to reroute waste to a pouch worn on the outside of her body.
Crystal’s injuries made it difficult for her to breathe, so doctors put her on a ventilator. A week later, as her breathing improved, she no longer needed the machine but had a tracheostomy (trach) – a slit in her windpipe – with a tube that provided supplemental air. She also needed a feeding tube for nutritional support.
After 31 days, Crystal’s condition stabilized and her body had started to heal. Knowing she needed extended care, her husband, Isaac, made the decision to transfer her to Select Specialty Hospital – Nashville West. He chose the critical illness recovery hospital after being impressed with the staff during a tour.
Road to recovery
Shortly after Crystal arrived, a physician-led, multidisciplinary team developed a personalized treatment plan to help her regain independence.
“I don’t remember any of the time at Vanderbilt. And, I only remember the last two weeks or so at Select,” Crystal said. “My mom kept a daily journal that I read.”
Under the guidance of a pulmonologist, the respiratory therapy team slowly reduced Crystal’s dependency on oxygen through her tracheostomy. Just four days after admission, Crystal achieved her first big milestone: she was able to speak again after a Passy-Muir valve was attached to her trach, pushing air through her vocal cords.
Just three days later, another milestone: Crystal could breathe on her own and her trach was removed.
At the same time, Crystal’s speech-language pathologist guided her through exercises to strengthen her throat muscles so she could eat again. Within the first week, a special study confirmed she could safely swallow, and she was able to begin eating pureed foods and thin liquids.
Crystal also struggled with significant memory deficits when she first arrived at the hospital. Poor vision in her left eye from her head injury made these challenges even harder. Crystal participated in exercises to improve her cognition, such as WRAP, a four-step technique to remember information that involves writing, repeating, associating and picturing. By the time she discharged, she could recall items with 100% accuracy.
“I knew I was getting better as I became more aware and purposeful,” Crystal said. “Especially, when I started to remember day-to-day items and could string together conversations.”
“You can do more than you think”
Crystal’s physical and occupational therapy teams played an important role in helping her rebuild strength, range of motion and balance. Because of her injuries, Crystal was unable to bear weight the first few weeks during her stay. Physical therapy initially focused on bed mobility and sitting balance, before progressing to sliding on a board to transfer to a wheelchair. As discharge drew near, Crystal was cleared to begin standing with assistance.
Crystal remembered thinking, “There’s no way I can do this.” But once she did, she admitted to herself, “Oh my gosh, you can do more than you think you can.”
Occupational therapy also played a crucial role in Crystal’s recovery. When she arrived, the right side of her body was weaker and she needed significant help with all daily activities, such as bathing, dressing and grooming. After focused work on balance while sitting, conquering things in the right order and learning new ways to accomplish everyday tasks, Crystal was able to participate in her own care – such as dressing herself with assistance – by the time of discharge.
“The therapists took it slow and paid attention to me. If they noticed I was in pain or needed to go back to bed, they backed off,” she remembered. “They were so great at evaluating me and taking it from there.”
After one month at Select Specialty Hospital, Crystal had made significant progress toward her goals and was ready to transfer to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital to continue her recovery. Reflecting on what she called a “positive experience,” she was quick to credit the staff for helping her succeed.
“Everyone was super friendly and made me feel so comfortable,” she said.
She also was grateful for the support of her family and friends, who cheered her on and helped her husband with the children.
“It was such a weight off of me knowing they were being cared for,” she said. “Everybody was so helpful.”
Four months after completing inpatient rehab, Crystal continues to progress. She no longer has the ostomy and with the help of home health therapy, she looks forward to continued improvement in her vision, being able to fully care for her children and eventually returning to work.
In the meantime, she’s thankful for how far she’s come, that her infant son has fully recovered and that her mother, mother-in-law and sister help with the children every day until her husband gets home from work.
“Before this happened, I overanalyzed things and worried. That was my nature,” she said. “I have a different mindset now. I take one day at a time and am grateful that I’m here with my husband and children. I thank God every day for bringing me through this.”
