Stephen's Story
Stephen Sims, 61, a former technician in the U.S. Navy and now a delivery driver living in Milwaukee, enjoys taking his grandchildren to an amusement park or perfecting his barbecue dishes.
For five days, Stephen was increasingly unable to do the activities he loves due to shortness of breath. When he got too weak to stand, he went by ambulance to Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital – St. Joseph’s Campus. Doctors determined he had a severe case of pneumonia known as Legionnaire’s Disease that had caused septic shock and multiple organ failure. Stephen was sedated, intubated and connected to a ventilator. He needed dialysis for kidney function and a feeding tube for nutrition.
For the next four weeks, Stephen underwent life-saving treatment before his condition stabilized. At that point, after being immobile for so long, Stephen couldn’t stand or walk. He was awake and had just started eating pureed foods.
At his daughter Katee’s recommendation, Stephen transferred to Select Specialty Hospital – Milwaukee West Allis. There, he hoped to get the support he needed to recover.
“I wanted to get as healthy as I could,” Stephen said. “To start standing, walking, eating regular foods, getting my (tracheostomy) out and feeding myself.”
A physician-led, interdisciplinary team created a personalized treatment plan focused on helping Stephen reach his goals. He made quick progress.
Recognizing his desire to eat a regular diet, a speech-language pathologist tested his ability to safely swallow solid foods. Stephen demonstrated he could eat without aspirating and within a day, he transitioned to normal foods. The dietary team increased his calories with nutritional shakes to help him regain lost weight and strength.
Stephen’s next milestone came a day later, when he underwent breathing trials and was able to breathe on his own without supplemental oxygen. His tracheostomy tube was removed.
Stephen appreciated the nurses and nursing assistants who “comforted me through nightmares and depression I was experiencing while in the hospital.” They also worked with the pharmacy team to keep his pain under control, which allowed him to progress in therapy.
Frequent visits by his daughters and grandchildren, and phone calls from his son in Iowa, also kept him motivated.
Much of Stephen’s therapy focused on rebuilding strength. Occupational therapists provided foam blocks for Stephen to squeeze for hand strength and worked on core exercises to improve his stability for bathing, dressing and grooming. Within six days of his arrival, his arm strength improved enough for him to feed himself for the first time.
Encouraged by his success, Stephen approached his physical therapy with the same determination. Initially he needed two therapists to help him sit on the edge of his bed, but he gradually became stronger through light dumbbell and resistance band exercises. Eight days after his admission, he stood for the first time in more than a month.
At that point, Stephen was ready to move to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital to continue his recovery, particularly his ability to walk, and to get back home to his family.
“All the staff were great,” he said. “They encouraged me and helped me stay motivated … the more work you put in, the faster you recover.”