Linda's Story
Linda Steffan was back to work as a remote accountant following a hospital stay for COVID-19. Shortly after her return, she told a coworker she was having difficulty breathing. Concerned, her colleague stopped by Linda’s home and immediately dialed 911.
Linda spent three weeks in the ICU at Aurora Medical Center – Grafton, and barely remembers it.
On arrival, she was diagnosed with E. coli, sepsis and respiratory distress. While they fought her infection with antibiotics, Linda’s doctors placed her on a BiPap machine, which helps deliver oxygen to a patient through positive pressure. When the BiPap proved ineffective, Linda had a tracheostomy tube surgically inserted into her airway and she was placed on a ventilator.
Once stabilized, Linda needed specialized care to return to the life she led before her illness. For that, her family chose Select Specialty Hospital – Milwaukee St. Francis (SSH – St. Francis). There, Linda’s physician-led, interdisciplinary team developed a personalized treatment plan for her.
Initially, Linda could not eat or breathe on her own and was severely weakened by her stay in the ICU. Still, she had a goal -- to get off the ventilator, get on her feet and go home.
As she began treatment, Linda’s nurses and therapists teamed up to ensure she was upright twice daily. This placed her lungs and diaphragm in a more natural position, making it easier to breathe and beginning to rebuild her strength and stamina. Nursing monitored her vitals and maintained her medication, mindful of her condition and keeping her as comfortable as possible while making sure she was aware of her progress.
Linda’s respiratory therapy team would conduct spontaneous breathing tests each day, removing most of the ventilator support and allowing Linda to try breathing on her own. This strengthened both her diaphragm and lungs and allowed the therapist to continue increasing Linda’s time off the ventilator.
As Linda drew closer to coming off the ventilator, a speech-language pathologist helped her regain her voice with a Passy-Muir valve—a device attached to the tracheostomy tube that allowed her to speak and breathe simultaneously. Practicing speech with the valve strengthened Linda’s diaphragm and gave her more control of her throat muscles.
Better control of her muscles meant that Linda’s therapist could test her ability to slowly restart a normal diet. A bed-side swallow test using ice chips told Linda’s therapist she was clear to begin eating by mouth again. Linda started with honey-thick liquids and was slowly introduced to thinner liquids then pureed food and eventually soft foods over a five-week period.
Breathing independently and eating better gave Linda the energy needed for physical and occupational therapy. She sat on the edge of her bed with assistance of physical therapists who helped move her arms above her head and out to the side. Linda was asked to kick outward toward her therapist’s hands and lift small objects from waist to chest height. These exercises improved her strength, balance and endurance. After five weeks, Linda was able to stand and take a few steps with assistance.
Reaching these milestones was a struggle, but Linda had the emotional support and encouragement of her family and friends. Linda, who enjoyed singing in her church choir, was also motivated by her strong faith and daily prayers of her fellow parishioners. “I wouldn’t be here without God and prayers,” she said.
Five weeks after coming to SSH – St. Francis, Linda could breathe, eat, talk, stand and take a few steps on her own. She was now strong enough to move onto an inpatient rehabilitation facility where she would further build upon her recovery. She said her overall goal remains the same, returning home to family and watching the Brewers at American Family Field along with her Friday evening tradition of having a fish fry with her mom.