Frannie's story
It was just supposed to be another normal day for Anna “Frannie” Daniels, but it turned into a day she cannot remember, and one her family will never forget.
The 75-year-old grandmother of five had spent the day with her husband, Ron, and their beloved family dog in their Hendersonville, Tennessee home. When Ron got up to take out the trash, Frannie followed him into the fresh air. After dropping the bag of trash into the can, Ron turned, expecting to see Frannie standing nearby.
But Frannie lay in the grass, unresponsive.
She was rushed to TriStar Hendersonville Medical Center where testing revealed that she had suffered an aneurysm and was bleeding into her skull. To ensure she received the best treatment possible, Frannie was immediately transferred to TriStar Skyline Medical Center, a Level 1 Trauma Center that specialized in cases like hers.
Surgeons created openings in her skull on both sides to drain the excess blood and then blocked off the section of the artery that had ruptured. To help her breathe, a tracheostomy tube was surgically inserted into Frannie’s windpipe and connected to a ventilator. To provide her with nutrition, a feeding tube was placed through the wall of her abdomen and directly into her stomach.
For two weeks, Frannie lay in a hospital bed while doctors monitored her condition and her family made sure she was never alone. When the doctors decided that she was stable, they suggested that Frannie be moved to a critical care hospital where she would have more time to heal.
Ron and his son spoke with Frannie’s case manager and took tours of nearby facilities. They made the decision to transition Frannie to Select Specialty Hospital – Nashville West. “It was convenient, smaller and felt more comfortable,” Ron said.
When she arrived, Frannie could not breathe, talk, eat or move on her own. She was weak, tired and still confused. The physician-led care team at Select Specialty Hospital evaluated her condition and developed a personalized treatment plan to help Frannie regain her strength and independence.
Her treatment, as with most things in the hospital, began with the nurses. They monitored Frannie’s condition, kept her comfortable, explained procedures to her family and answered any questions. Twice daily, the nursing staff would help Frannie into an upright seated position. This was an important first step in her therapy; it made it easier to breathe and began strengthening her core muscles and balance.
A respiratory therapist worked with Frannie to help her breathe without the ventilator. Using proven therapy protocols, Frannie’s respiratory therapist gradually decreased the amount of support the ventilator provided. Eight days later, Frannie was disconnected from the machine altogether and it was wheeled out of the room. Three days later her tracheostomy tube was removed.
While working with the respiratory therapist, Frannie’s speech-language pathologist attached a speaking valve to her tracheostomy. The valve, which forced air to flow over her vocal cords, allowed her to begin trying to speak again. She had difficulty at first, barely able to get above a whisper. With practice, her voice began to grow stronger.
Once she was completely off the ventilator, Frannie was cleared to begin eating again. The speech-language pathologist started her out with thick liquids, like yogurt, before moving on to thinner liquids such as soup broth. Then came soft foods. After four days of gradually introducing different textures and sizes, she was eating a normal diet.
Meanwhile, Frannie participated in physical and occupational therapy daily. Physical therapy began at the edge of her bed. Following the instructions from her therapist, Frannie stretched her limbs, reached from side to side and pushed and pulled with her hands and feet. Each movement returned strength and control to her weakened body. She stood for the first time, with assistance, four days after arriving at Select Specialty Hospital. After an additional three days of standing for longer periods, she was ready to take her first steps since Ron found her laying in the grass.
Occupational therapy helped Frannie relearn how to care for herself. She practiced brushing her teeth and hair, getting dressed and transferring from the bed to a chair. Repeating these activities strengthened her upper body and returned some of her personal agency.
After 15 days at Select Specialty Hospital, Frannie was off the ventilator and able to hold a conversation, she had returned to eating a regular diet, could walk 40 feet with gentle assistance from her therapist and was capable of performing most of her self-care activities.
Or, as Frannie put it, “I can get up, walk, talk and eat. I’m doing so much better now.”
As she transfered to an inpatient rehabilitation facility to continue growing stronger, Frannie looked forward to getting back home to her family.
“Everything at Select Specialty Hospital has been so good,” she said. “Everyone comforted me, was very accommodating and engaging.”