James' Story
Small business owner, handyman, cook and mobile car detailer James Small is a jack-of-all-trades. Now retired, the 69-year-old Portsmouth, Virginia, resident enjoys life at slower pace with Christine, his wife of 41 years.
After returning home from a family gathering one evening, Christine noticed that James wasn’t speaking clearly.
“He was telling me something about our nephew and he just wasn’t making sense,” Christine said. “When I looked over at him, he didn’t look right. One side of his face was drooping and I knew something was wrong.”
She immediately dialed 911.
James was rushed to Maryview Medical Center where testing revealed he had an intracranial hemorrhage, better known as a brain bleed. James was urgently transferred to Chesapeake Regional Medical Center where he underwent neurosurgery. James had a complicated recovery and spent the next four weeks in the intensive care unit, unresponsive, and connected to a ventilator that helped him breathe.
“The doctors weren’t telling me anything positive but I told them I know he’s going to wake up and get better,” Christine said. “My faith in God is strong and I told them I’m not giving up on him.”
James started showing signs of recovery and his doctors recommended that he transfer to Select Specialty Hospital – Hampton Roads, a critical illness recovery hospital specializing in medically complex and critically ill patients.
On arrival at Select Specialty Hospital, James couldn’t breathe, speak, eat or walk on his own. But, he could mouth words and his wife could read his lips. James told her, “I want to go home. I want to go home.”
He later said that even though he couldn’t speak, he knew in his mind that he needed to regain strength to get back home.
A physician-led, multidisciplinary team collaborated on a plan to help him do that.
Over the next four weeks, James and his care team got to work. Physical and occupational therapists focused on his mobility, getting him out of bed every day – in a chair, wheelchair or even balancing on the edge of his bed. As he regained strength, and with assistance, he was able to stand and take steps again.
The respiratory therapy team helped restore his ability to breathe on his own again. By giving him increasing amounts of time off the ventilator, James rebuilt his strength and stamina. Only 11 days after admission, James was breathing on his own.
Speech language pathologists taught him how to speak, swallow safely and eat again.
“One day when I went in to visit him, I walked into the room and he said to me, ‘Hey honey!’” Christine recalled. “It was so amazing to hear his voice again for the first time in months. I just couldn’t believe it.”
The day he passed a special study that demonstrated he could swallow without aspirating, he was rewarded with vanilla ice cream.
James celebrated two milestones in one week at Select Specialty Hospital: his tracheostomy tube was removed and he turned 69.
“There were so many balloons, family and friends came to visit, and the staff was all so nice and encouraging.” Christine said.
Soon after, he discharged to Riverside Rehabilitation Hospital to continue his journey. Ten days later, he was home.
“My goal now is to get back out fishing with my wife,” James said. “We love to do that together.”
After returning home from a family gathering one evening, Christine noticed that James wasn’t speaking clearly.
“He was telling me something about our nephew and he just wasn’t making sense,” Christine said. “When I looked over at him, he didn’t look right. One side of his face was drooping and I knew something was wrong.”
She immediately dialed 911.
James was rushed to Maryview Medical Center where testing revealed he had an intracranial hemorrhage, better known as a brain bleed. James was urgently transferred to Chesapeake Regional Medical Center where he underwent neurosurgery. James had a complicated recovery and spent the next four weeks in the intensive care unit, unresponsive, and connected to a ventilator that helped him breathe.
“The doctors weren’t telling me anything positive but I told them I know he’s going to wake up and get better,” Christine said. “My faith in God is strong and I told them I’m not giving up on him.”
James started showing signs of recovery and his doctors recommended that he transfer to Select Specialty Hospital – Hampton Roads, a critical illness recovery hospital specializing in medically complex and critically ill patients.
On arrival at Select Specialty Hospital, James couldn’t breathe, speak, eat or walk on his own. But, he could mouth words and his wife could read his lips. James told her, “I want to go home. I want to go home.”
He later said that even though he couldn’t speak, he knew in his mind that he needed to regain strength to get back home.
A physician-led, multidisciplinary team collaborated on a plan to help him do that.
Over the next four weeks, James and his care team got to work. Physical and occupational therapists focused on his mobility, getting him out of bed every day – in a chair, wheelchair or even balancing on the edge of his bed. As he regained strength, and with assistance, he was able to stand and take steps again.
The respiratory therapy team helped restore his ability to breathe on his own again. By giving him increasing amounts of time off the ventilator, James rebuilt his strength and stamina. Only 11 days after admission, James was breathing on his own.
Speech language pathologists taught him how to speak, swallow safely and eat again.
“One day when I went in to visit him, I walked into the room and he said to me, ‘Hey honey!’” Christine recalled. “It was so amazing to hear his voice again for the first time in months. I just couldn’t believe it.”
The day he passed a special study that demonstrated he could swallow without aspirating, he was rewarded with vanilla ice cream.
James celebrated two milestones in one week at Select Specialty Hospital: his tracheostomy tube was removed and he turned 69.
“There were so many balloons, family and friends came to visit, and the staff was all so nice and encouraging.” Christine said.
Soon after, he discharged to Riverside Rehabilitation Hospital to continue his journey. Ten days later, he was home.
“My goal now is to get back out fishing with my wife,” James said. “We love to do that together.”