Mary: An Unforgettable Recovery
Mary, 49, was one of those patients you do not forget. She was memorable because she was so ill and the odds were stacked against her.
She was admitted to an acute care hospital for acute necrotizing pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas. She had a very traumatic hospital course, undergoing nine surgeries for a necrotic bowel, resulting in a total colectomy and ileostomy.
During her hospital stay she developed respiratory failure and acute renal failure. Mary then had a septic embolus that caused a cerebrovascular accident (stroke) leaving her with left-sided weakness.
She arrived at Kindred Hospital Tucson on total parenteral nutrition (TPN), with a tracheostomy tube in place and a large abdominal wound.
All of the clinical disciplines at Kindred Hospital Tucson went to work on Mary.
Respiratory therapy began working on weaning her from the trach and using a speaking valve.
The initial assessment completed by the rehabilitation department showed her unable to tolerate any mobility or perform any self-care needs. She needed the assistance of two people for all transfers and maximum assistance for all her grooming and dressing needs. She was unable to eat on her own.
The wound care team assessed her wound and determined she needed another surgery to clean the necrotic tissue around her wound so she endured yet another procedure. Throughout her hospital stay she developed numerous abscesses but thankfully the surgeons were able to drain at the bedside.
Often Mary felt she was taking one step forward and two steps back and occasionally she would lose hope and have tearful days. But Mary was also determined. Her husband stayed at her bedside at all times. Her sister was also a frequent visitor and cheerleader. With her strong support system, Mary was able to smile and joke and kept her caregivers laughing.
Mary progressed slowly but was eventually decannulated and able to walk 4oo feet without assistive devices, perform all of her normal activities of daily living and eat a regular diet independently.
She was discharged to a skilled nursing facility for continued care and then returned home. Mary still visits the staff at Kindred to share her new life!
Our success is apparent in stories like Mary’s as well as in our quality scores – patients and families rate our quality of care at over 93 percent and 98 percent would recommend Kindred.