Levi
“This place and the people here saved my life.”
In early November of last year Mr. Reiswig began to feel extreme pain in his abdomen and he went to the hospital where he was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis.
Read more about Levi
He would go on to have 13 surgeries, receive over 100 units of blood, suffer a cardiac arrest and respiratory failure and had to have three organs partially removed. He remained on a ventilator in a very delicate state and needed intensive care until he was able to be transferred to Kindred Hospital Denver where he could receive respiratory therapy and begin his rehabilitation. Unable to move and dependent on his caregivers for all his needs. Mr. Reiswig then suffered from a brain aneurysm and he had to be transferred back to the acute care facility and then brought back to Kindred. During the course of his five-month stay at Kindred Mr. Reiswig made slow but steady progress, starting with finally being able to breathe without the ventilator and then progressing to regaining his strength and mobility and relearning how to walk and eat. After diligent work from his entire team and now back on his feet and walking again, Mr. Reiswig was finally declared fit enough to be discharged to his own home and his family.
“I am so appreciative of the care I received here at Kindred,” MR. Reiswig affirmed. “This place and the people here saved my life. Thank you for the wonderful care and for bringing me back to reality. Now I’m looking forward to going home and spending time with my mom, my son and my fiancée.”
Tiffany
Grateful To Be Moving Forward With A Completely Different Outlook On Life.
Tiffany was going about the normal life of a full-time mother and wife until she started to feel sick. She then developed pneumonia and had to be hospitalized, but as she started to get better she developed another serious medical condition that required emergency surgery and Tiffany unfortunately went into shock during the operation. To protect her from developing additional complications, physicians induced a coma and placed her on a ventilator and feeding tube and she was closely monitored in the ICU for two weeks.
Read more about Tiffany
Further complicating matters for the entire family, her husband, Grey, also developed pneumonia while Tiffany was in a coma and had to be hospitalized; fortunately he recovered quickly and resumed caring for his wife.
When she was stable enough to be transferred, Tiffany was brought to Kindred Hospital Denver to receive advanced respiratory therapy, ongoing IV medical treatment, wound care and rehabilitation. She was weak and completely dependent on her caregivers for all her needs and was also scared and nervous when she first arrived. Her team of caregivers and Grey worked to assure Tiffany that she was in good hands and her respiratory therapists started to strengthen her lungs, guiding this stage of her recovery and making steady progress until she was able to be successfully weaned from the ventilator for good.
The next stage of her recovery involved her speech pathologist, who helped Tiffany regain the ability to speak and swallow, and once the breathing tube was removed completely she was able to start drinking and eating a normal diet once again. And although Tiffany’s muscles were severely weakened from her prolonged illness and bed rest, her physical and occupational therapists worked diligently with Tiffany to get her back on her feet and able to take care of her daily needs and her positive attitude was bolstered by the support of her husband and the dedicated care of her team. After being at Kindred for nearly a month and a half and completely weaned from the IV lines, feeding tube and able to do most of the tasks required to be independent, she was finally able to be discharged to return home with her family.
“I’m grateful to be moving forward with a completely different outlook on life,” Tiffany shared before she was discharged. “My advice to everyone is if something doesn’t feel right, always go get it checked out – don’t wait!”
“As for me, I never gave up hope,” said Grey. “I knew she would come back better than ever.”
Bert
Undaunted By A Serious Accident That Nearly Claimed His Life, Bert Looks Forward To Riding Again.
Bert is an avid cycling enthusiast who shared that he typically rode upwards of 80 miles a week. He was out on a ride in late May when he slid out on some gravel and fell into oncoming traffic. He was dragged 60 feet before the car that struck him came to a stop and he was rushed to the ER by ambulance.
Read more about Bert
He had to be given a tracheostomy so a ventilator could support his breathing. Bert also was found to have 23 broken ribs and his right arm was severely damaged, in addition to severe abrasions in multiple places. He underwent surgery to repair his broken arm and began on what would be a long road to recovery.
Bert came to Kindred Hospital a month after his accident for ventilator weaning and rehabilitation. His condition was very complicated due to delirium brought on by his injuries, which made rehabilitation even more difficult. However, his care team never wavered and Bert slowly began to make progress toward recovery.
Near the end of his stay, Bert’s mind began to clear and he became much more engaged and positive about his recovery. He was discharged to a rehabilitation facility to continue his recovery, and at the beginning of September he came to Kindred Hospital to visit and surprised everyone with how well he’s doing. Bert was walking and talking normally and shared that he can’t wait to get back on a bike and start riding again. “It’s wonderful to see everyone again,” Bert said. “I just want to thank you all for everything you did for me!”
Bert, all of us at Kindred wish you the best and hope that you are able to get back to riding soon. Just remember to “keep the rubber side down!”
Robert R
Courage and Determination Helped Him Get To The Next Step In His Recovery.
Robert came to Kindred Hospital for ongoing management of encephalitis and to wean from the ventilator that was supporting his breathing. Prior to coming to Kindred, Robert had undergone a kidney transplant in 2013 due to Goodpasture Syndrome - a rare autoimmune disease in which antibodies attack the basement membrane in lungs and kidneys, leading to bleeding from the lungs and kidney failure.
Read more about Robert
After his surgery, Robert's recovery was complicated as he developed progressive weakness and was diagnosed with a severe E.Coli infection. His transplant was also in jeopardy as he developed kidney diseases that led to the development of heart function irregularities and hypertension that were likely caused by a pulmonary embolism. Robert also underwent a spinal tap puncture to obtain a better diagnosis of his ongoing weakness and he was found to be positive for West Nile Virus.
Robert was admitted to Kindred Hospital in an unresponsive state, dependent on the ventilator and severely weakened by his long and complex medical ordeal. His care team developed a multidisciplinary plan to help him recover his pulmonary function in order for Robert to be able to participate in therapy, with the goal being to for him to return home.
Progress was slow at first, but Robert was encouraged by his family and his caregivers to keep up the effort. After nearly 9 months at Kindred, Robert was finally weaned from the ventilator on which he had depended for so long. His mental state improved as well and Robert was able to follow simple commands and showing signs of understanding simple questions when he left to go back home with his family.
"Robert kept his spirits up," his mother said. "Rarely did he get down. I'm pretty sure he's looking forward to sleeping in his own bed through the entire night, having his own space and preparing to take the next step."
Robert, all of us at Kindred admire your courage and determination and wish you all the best as you continue on the road to recovery!