Determination to return home after a critical illness
Of all that things that could go wrong on a family vacation, Tara Brewer never imagined she would develop lung inflammation that nearly took her life. The cause: bacteria exposure, most likely from a hot tub.
But that’s exactly what happened shortly after the 34-year-old Milwaukee mother of two returned home from a trip to the Wisconsin Dells. Tara began coughing, feeling lethargic and eventually struggling for breath after walking only a few feet. Her boyfriend drove her to the emergency room at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital, where she was diagnosed with acute respiratory failure and viral pneumonia caused by “hot tub lung.” The condition refers to a pulmonary disease in otherwise healthy patients caused by exposure to bacteria in contaminated steam, such as that found in hot tubs.
Tara’s inflammation was so severe that she was put into an induced coma, given medication to reduce the inflammation, connected to a ventilator and kept face down to allow for improved lung ventilation. After three weeks, her condition stabilized and Tara no longer needed intensive care but still required around-the-clock care. Her muscles were severely deconditioned from the immobility.
Her care team at Ascension recommended Select Specialty Hospital – Milwaukee St. Francis, a critical illness recovery hospital.
Tara arrived with a tracheostomy (trach), a slit in her windpipe with a tube that connected to her ventilator. She couldn’t breathe, eat, talk or walk. A physician-led, multidisciplinary team put together a personalized plan to help Tara get back to the life she enjoyed before her illness.
Recognizing how scary it was not to be able to breathe on her own, nurses provided emotional support as well as clinical care. For example, they explained Tara’s ventilator care in a calming and reassuring way, and provided a white board and writing tools so Tara could communicate.
Tara’s pulmonary team immediately began breathing trials, gradually increasing her time off the ventilator while closely monitoring her lung function. Each day, Tara’s breathing improved. With the help of a special valve that connected to her trach tube, Tara spoke again for the first time just three days after she arrived.
Because she initially experienced significant anxiety about using the valve, this was an important milestone for Tara that fueled her motivation. Two days later, she no longer needed the ventilator, only supplemental oxygen through her trach tube. Nine days after that, Tara breathed completely on her own again and her trach was removed.
At the same time, Tara’s speech-language pathologist worked with her on swallowing exercises to strengthen her throat muscles so she could eventually eat again. After 12 days, a special study confirmed she could swallow safely. That same day she started a diet of regular foods and thin liquids.
Tara participated in physical and occupational therapy to rebuild strength, range of motion and balance. She began with basic exercises that included holding herself upright on the edge of the bed, controlling her body as she reached in different directions or transitioning from sit to stand positions. Her progress was swift. Within four days, she was standing, walking with a rolling walker and even navigating steps. By the time she discharged, she could walk 600 feet.
Tara improved her upper body strength with exercises that enhanced her endurance and coordination, such a raising and lowering a dowel or rolling it in circles forward and backward. As her abilities grew, the focus shifted to daily self-care tasks, such as dressing, grooming and eating on her own. To ensure a safe and smooth transition home, the therapists also worked with her family members providing hands-on training and guidance.
Throughout her recovery, Tara drew support from her family, who visited and called daily. She also was grateful for the staff, who encouraged her when she needed it most.
“I wanted to go home and feel normal again,” Tara recalls. “I wanted to be home for my daughter Starla’s 13th birthday.”
Additionally, Tara had signed up to chaperone her son EJ’s school fieldtrip to Discovery World later in the school year, and she still wanted to do that.
“All staff were extremely kind and helpful,” she says. “[They] made me feel very comfortable and helped me achieve my goals.”
In just 18 days at Select Specialty Hospital, Tara had achieved all her recovery goals. She described her stay as “excellent” and credited the compassionate staff with helping her regain the ability to breathe, walk, talk and eat on her own.
As she prepared to return home, Tara looked forward to enjoying life’s simple pleasures – like the day she surprised her daughter after school on her birthday.