Hospital: PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Greater Indiana North
Diagnosis: Inpatient and outpatient therapy for spinal cord injury
When Adam Garrett fell off his roof onto a metal bench, the impact bent the bench. While the incident left him sore and shaken up, he thought he had escaped relatively unscathed. However, a combination of ongoing neck pain and worsening mobility issues made it clear something was wrong. The mobility problems started with a numbness in his abdomen that radiated to his legs and culminated when he fell in his bathroom and heard a crack. Nearly a year later, when Mr. Garrett was finally admitted to the acute care hospital in March of 2025 for these issues, doctors performed surgery to repair the damage he had sustained to his spinal cord.
After being released from the hospital, Mr. Garrett came to PAM Health for inpatient therapy. “When I came to PAM inpatient, the only thing I could do was move my arms. I could not move myself or reposition in bed,” he said. “I had no feeling from the arms down to the rest of my body.”
He spent seven days as an inpatient and then returned home with home health services but felt it was not completely meeting his needs due to lack of equipment. When he learned that PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Greater Indiana North offered outpatient therapy later in the day, he knew that was the right environment to suit his needs. Plus, his wife had also heard from coworkers who had positive experiences, which made the decision even easier.
Although Mr. Garrett started outpatient therapy in a wheelchair, he quickly transitioned to a walker, then to a cane, and then got rid of the cane – that’s how fast he progressed! “My standing endurance has increased to 15 minutes on the Stairmaster,” he said. “I have tripled my times when I have been reassessed in therapy sessions.” Mr. Garrett credits his progress on his positive outlook, his wife who has been his rock, his doctors, his outpatient physical therapy Gerry Anne, and using the Stairmaster. “I love the Stairmaster,” he said. “It is very, very difficult. Initially I felt like I was going to die after 30 seconds and now I am up to 10 minutes. I needed it to overcome…Every time I left a therapy session, I felt better.”
Mr. Garrett is looking forward to returning to work so he can provide for his family, but appreciates the help, humor, and encouragement he has received from the PAM Health team.
