Hospital: PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital of El Paso
Diagnosis: Rehabilitation after neck surgery
Leopaldo Diaz suffered a ground-level fall that resulted in bilateral collapsed lungs. As his condition worsened, Mr. Diaz developed pneumonia and required a tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation. After some time in the acute care hospital, Mr. Diaz chose to come to our sister hospital at PAM Health Specialty Hospital of Corpus Christi North – a Joint Commission-certified hospital for our respiratory failure program —for ventilator weaning.
Following neck surgery, Luis Contreras came to PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital of El Paso at the recommendation of his social worker at University Medical Center, where he had his surgery, for our expertise in getting patients mobile again. Upon admission, Mr. Contreras was fearful and anxious that he would never be able to move, walk, or use the bathroom on his own again.
With the gentle support and encouragement of our team, especially physical therapists Michael Durling and Felipe Jiminez initially, Mr. Contreras worked to mentally overcome his fears and trust that our expert staff would keep him safe. Once his anxiety eased, he started to gradually move again, starting with side-to-side head movements and simple hand movements. His confidence began to build, and he was determined to move again in any way possible! He was overjoyed just to be able to stand up and sit back down on his own using his walker and that he could shower again. Mr. Contreras recalled the emotional moment that he walked for the first time since his surgery: It was the Sunday after his first week at PAM Health, and he cried tears of joy because he didn’t think he would be walking again so soon. Despite his initial worries, Mr. Contreras was achieving more than he ever could have imagined!
Some goals that Mr. Contreras achieved were:
- Eased anxiety over his abilities
- Improved mobility and independence
- Improved health overall, including decreased daily insulin needs and smoking cessation
Mr. Contreras stated that our physical and occupational therapists, doctors, and nutrition staff made huge impacts during his stay that he will continue to carry with him. The PT and OT team got him moving and helped motivate him toward increased independence instead of being fully dependent on staff to move him. Also, prior to his stay, he was taking three doses of insulin per day, but with the tailored diet from our nutrition team, he is now down to one dose daily! He also quit smoking.
Mr. Contreras is eager and proud to return home to his grandson in better health than he had hoped for himself. He plans to return to visit us at PAM Health to show us his continued progress at home using the tools and skills we taught him. After witnessing all that Mr. Contreras has overcome, we know he will continue to achieve tremendous milestones! We are so proud of you, Mr. Contreras!
