Marvin
An Improved Outlook to Living with Chronic Respiratory Failure
Marvin Fincher has always led an active lifestyle; professionally, athletically, and socially. Marvin worked as a hurricane specialist where he oversaw preparedness and response efforts for all DuPont facilities in the Atlantic basin. He was on the Executive Planning Committee, the Hurricane History Committee, and a board member of Galveston Historical Foundation as well as the Galveston County Historical Commission. When he wasn’t working, Martin enjoyed sailing, offshore boat racing and spending time with his family.
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Even while battling cancer, she always found gardening to be good therapeutic exercise. Mrs. Labauve has enjoyed educating the community and working in public gardens, but home gardening was her favorite past-time.
In the late 90’s, Martin began experiencing recurring bronchitis and pneumonia. By 2001, he was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension- a very serious condition that affects lung functioning. One year later, the complications from his illness worsened, and he had to take a medical retirement. His early retirement didn’t stop him. During his healthier times, Marvin remained functionally active with portable oxygen so he could continue sailing. By 2009 his illness advanced to end stage lung disease. After rounds of testing, Marvin and his doctors decided a lung transplant would be too risky. At that time, doctors predicted a life expectancy of only 2 years. Martin and his family were determined to keep fighting. They spoke with many doctors and therapist to find other ways to treat his condition. He tried new medications and underwent several sleep studies to help his medical team figure out the best way to treat him. His care plan seemed to be working as 2 years turned to 3, then 4, and so on.
Late last year, 8 years past the terminal prediction, Martin found himself in the hospital emergency room, when he couldn’t walk 5 feet without struggling to breath. They found that he needed to use 10 liters of supplemental oxygen and a home ventilator. Upon discharge, the doctors recommended he should start considering hospice or palliative care. Mr. Fincher and his family were not ready to give up. They declined and discharged home. By March of 2017 Martin noticed he needed even more oxygen and his need for the home ventilator support increased, as breaks off of the ventilator were getting shorter. He was becoming immobile and almost completely dependent on his home ventilator. When he started feeling very fatigued, forgetful, confused, disorientated and short of breath, he rushed back to the hospital emergency room. This time Mr. Fincher says he found a new doctor that delivered the positive, hope-filled message he had been waiting to hear for quite some time. Dr. Majd Alnas told Martin and his family that he was confident he and the care team at Kindred Clear Lake could help him. Mr. Fincher said Dr. Alnas sounded very confident when he explained to Martin that with the right amount of time and care management, Martin could be weaned from the high flow oxygen and that he would be able to lower the carbon dioxide levels that were causing the confusion and disorientation. Mr. Fincher and his family accepted the doctor’s recommendation to transfer to Kindred Clear Lake to start a new journey of recovery.
Mr. Fincher transferred to the Kindred Hospital Clear Lake intensive care unit on March 10, 2017 with a diagnosis of chronic respiratory failure and severe restrictive lung disease. At that time he still required 10 liters of nasal oxygen and an almost continuous use of a BiPAP machine. He could not tolerate sitting up on the side of the bed and was unable to stand. Martin required maximum assistance with all physical activities. Shortly after admission, he was evaluated and entered into the pulmonary rehab program with goals to improve his breathing and increase his physical endurance. His pulmonary rehab therapies included exercises and devices to increase respiratory muscle strength, increase lung volumes, and improve overall lung health. Within a week, his carbon dioxide levels stabilized and Martin’s mental confusion subsided; everything around him started to become clear. He was able to tolerate longer periods without ventilator support or the high levels of nasal oxygen. By the third week of his recovery program, he grew stronger and was able to transfer out of ICU into a regular hospital unit. There, he continued working with the Kindred Clear Lake respiratory therapist and rehabilitation teams. After several more days of therapy, he only required 3-4 liters of nasal oxygen and required less assistance with physical activities. Every day, with the support of the doctors and staff, Martin noticed his own progress and pushed forward.
Upon discharge, on April 12, 2017, he is able to breath better than he could before his first admission at the general hospital. Martin can participate in standing activities for 5 full minutes and can independently participate in activities of daily living. Mr. Fincher said he can now do things he never thought he would be able to do again. He gave special credit to the nursing, respiratory, and rehab teams for their caring support. He says their knowledgeable, attentive, and observant care helped him find comfort in the most trying times. He believes the Kindred staff truly works from the heart. With an improved outlook, he set his sights for higher lung health goals and discharged to Kindred Clear Lake Rehabilitation Hospital to continue his inpatient rehabilitation journey.
Brenda
Getting Back to Her Greenhouse
Over 8 years ago, Brenda Labauve, graduated from The Texas Master Gardener program, an educational and volunteer program offered through Texas A&M University System. Over the years she has participated in the cultivation and maturation of lawns and gardens from Tomball to Conroe.
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Even while battling cancer, she always found gardening to be good therapeutic exercise. Mrs. Labauve has enjoyed educating the community and working in public gardens, but home gardening was her favorite past-time.
Mrs. Labauve spent much of her time in her private greenhouse tending to tropical plumeria trees and hibiscus shrubs. In late May of 2017 she decided to move her plants outside the greenhouse to capture more sunlight. She noticed the plant leaves were peppered with an unfamiliar white substance. A few days later a small lesion appeared on the back of her shoulder and she developed a severe headache. The debilitating pain lasted for several days, so Mrs. Labauve’s daughter drove her to the hospital. Culture tests revealed that she had contracted a rare infection called Nocardiosis, caused by bacteria commonly found in soil and water. People can become infected when they breathe it in through the lungs or when the bacteria enter an open wound. Because Mrs. Labauve had gone through cancer treatment, her immune system was weakened, making her vulnerable to the infection. The bacteria had spread throughout her body, so her doctors started treatment with long-term intravenous (IV) antibiotics.
A few days after receiving the diagnosis, when speaking and communicating became difficult for her, doctors explained that she had experienced two strokes and the infection had spread to her brain and formed an abscess. When antibiotics and steroids failed to eradicate the infection, a craniotomy was her last hope. After the successful brain surgery, she wanted to be closer to her family so she chose to transfer to Kindred Hospital Clear Lake for her transitional care.
Mrs. Labauve was admitted to Kindred Hospital Clear Lake on June 20, 2017 to complete her IV antibiotic therapy and to receive rehabilitation services. Upon admission, she was evaluated by our interdisciplinary teams including physical, occupational and speech therapy and the wound care team. She was found to have significant deficits; she required assistance with basic movements like getting out of bed and walking. She needed assistance from two caregivers with grooming, dressing, and bathroom help. Ms. Labauve also had difficulty with writing and expressing her thoughts and feelings through spoken language. Additionally, she had a deep wound on her shoulder where the skin lesion had first appeared that needed regular care and dressing changes.
Ms. Labauve was a delight to work with and demonstrated a great passion for life as well as an inner drive for constant improvement. After 4 weeks, through her hard work and determination and under the guidance of her physical, occupational, and speech therapists, Ms. Labauve demonstrated exponential gains in all aspects of daily functions. While there were some activities that required an assistive device, she was able to transfer from bed, walk, and dress herself independently. Ms. Labauve also significantly improved her ability to express herself through written and spoken language. The wound on her back completely healed.
Ms. Labauve’s significant improvements were a great accomplishment! We are very proud of her and the hard work she did to reach her goals. After leaving Kindred Hospital Clear Lake, Ms. Labauve was able to return home with home health services.
Dennis
Respiratory Failure Out at Sea
Mr. Dennis Burke, a U.S. Merchant Marine, was on a container ship sailing toward east Asia when he started feeling short of breath. Due to his condition, his ship was forced to return to Alaska two days later, and the ship’s Captain called for an ambulance transport to the closest trauma center in Dutch Harbor. The trauma center saw he needed critical care services, so they quickly flew him to an acute care hospital in Anchorage. Mr. Burke was admitted with acute respiratory failure and had slipped into a coma. His lungs were failing and he needed the full support of a ventilator.
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His wife Jeannet met him at the hospital where she was confronted with many difficult decisions. His Physicians communicated his prognosis to her and she relied on her faith for her spiritual support and prayers. Two weeks later Mr. Burke reawakened with his wife at his bedside. He had no recollection of where he was or how he arrived at the hospital. They were not sure what to expect next; but they knew they wanted to be closer to home.
Two weeks later Mr. Burke was on a 10 hour flight to Houston by air ambulance for admission to Kindred Hospital Clear Lake, a long term acute care facility. When he arrived he was admitted to ICU with respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and pneumonia. He was severely deconditioned, had a feeding tube, and had developed bed sores due to being bedridden for a month. The physicians and interdisciplinary care teams at Kindred evaluated his condition and developed a care plan to put him on the path of recovery. The day after arrival, under close supervision and with careful planning, Mr. Burke was successfully removed from the ventilator because he demonstrated the ability to breathe on his own. It was still a challenging time for Mr. Burke; he was tired of being in the hospital and craved the comforts of home. Every day for the first week, he wrote messages to his doctor demanding to go home. He didn’t realize he was still in a critical state until his family and primary physician met with him to explain the severity of his situation. Dr. Eisenberg provided a realistic and direct explanation about his plan of care, which gave Mr. Burke the hope and motivation he needed to continue on his arduous journey.
Armed with a renewed drive, Mr. Burke pushed for progress in each aspect of his care. At that time, Mr. Burke still required supplemental oxygen. He started working with Speech Therapy to regain his voice by use of a Passey Muir valve, which assists speech when a patient has a tracheotomy. He was able to leave the writing pad behind and started speaking with his family and caregivers again. It wasn’t long before Mr. Burke was able to swallow properly and could have a less restricted diet. Guided by Physical Therapists, he also focused on strength and endurance training. Because Mr. Burke was completely immobile for over a month, they started with basic movements, like rolling in bed, to rebuild his core strength.
Mr. Burke dedicated his time at Kindred Clear Lake to getting better for himself and for his family. He worked hard every day to slowly regain his mobility and move closer to independence. By the third week of his hospital stay, Mr. Burke was celebrating major milestones in his recovery. The trach was completely removed and he only required a minimal amount of oxygen during the day and a BiPAP at night. His lungs began to clear as the pneumonia subsided. By this time, while working with the rehab team, Mr. Burke was finally able to sit-up on the side of the bed to eat normal meals. Clinical dietitians continued to educate him on the best food options to maximize his strength and healing.
Within 4 weeks, Mr. Burke was able to breathe on his own, able to move himself in bed, transfer out of bed and stand with moderate assistance. His wounds were completely healed. He could eat regular food. After demonstrating significant improvements in all aspects of breathing, mobility and daily activities, Mr. Burke was accepted to Kindred Clear Lake Rehabilitation Hospital to continue his journey towards regaining total independence and returning home with his wife and family.
Roelandia
She left in a wheelchair – just recently she walked back in to say hello and say Thank You
Roelandia suffered from a postpartum hemorrhage that led to respiratory failure and traumatic compartment syndrome of the abdomen. She was stabilized and came to Kindred Rehabilitation Hospital for strengthening and endurance exercises, including gait and balance training.
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At the beginning of her ordeal, Roelandia was unable to even hold her newborn child in her arms due to her severely weakened state. However, her care team and physical and occupational therapists helped Roelandia regain her strength and she made remarkable progress in a short period of time.
Roelandia is now completely independent again and able to do all the activities of daily life. She is able to care for her baby and is looking forward to the future. Just recently she dropped by to say hello and share her progress. “I just want to say a special Thank You to my daily physical therapist, Kumar, who helped me learn to walk again,” Roelandia acknowledged. “He believed in me when I didn't believe in myself, just as my family did. All of the staff were friendly, caring and motivational. I left Kindred with a wheelchair and walker, and today he didn't even recognize me because of how far I've come. The progress I've made is outstanding, thanks to this entire facility!”
Roelandia, all of us at Kindred are thrilled at your recovery and so proud at everything you accomplished! We wish you and your baby all the best and a lifetime of health and joy together.
Tom
A stroke took away his independence – at Kindred Tom got it back.
Tom suffered a serious stroke that affected the left side of his body. He was treated at a general hospital and then came to Kindred Rehab – first as an inpatient and then as an outpatient – to regain his independence through physical and occupational therapy prior to returning home.
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Tom’s rehab team focused on helping him get his speech, coordination, balance and strength back so he could return home, get back to work and enjoying quality of life again. Tom made great progress and applied himself diligently to the therapy program that was devised for him. At the time of his discharge to his home he was completely independent with full functional mobility in all the activities of daily living. Tom is also able to now drive again and is happy to be able to walk his dog in the park. He shared that he’s looking forward to going fishing again and getting back to gardening as well.
“All the therapists at Kindred are worth their weight in gold!” Tom proclaimed. “It is because of their help that I was able to recover and their skills made my recovery a success.”
Tom, all of us at Kindred wish you all the best and are glad that you are once again able to enjoy all the things you love to do and hope that you’ll get back to work soon.
William
Now I Have My Life Back
William came to Kindred Rehab Hospital for rehabilitation following a below-the-knee amputation on his right leg.
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Prior to his surgery, William was working full time, had a very active social life, and he was involved with his church through a number of activities – working with youth groups and going on mission trips. He came to Kindred to regain his independence and get back to doing the things he loves to do.
William required extensive physical, occupational and speech therapy to help him get back to where he wanted to be. He was fitted with a prosthetic leg and is now able to do just about everything he was able to do before. William likes to walk to get his exercise and shared that he is happy to be able to help around the house again
“My first time here was mentally and physically hard,” William recalled. “But with the help of my team at Kindred I was able to reach the light at the end of the tunnel and now I have my life back. I’m looking forward to going on a men’s retreat in October and getting back in shape.”
William, your recovery is an inspiration to all of us at Kindred! We wish you all the best as you move forward with your life and hope you’ll drop by for a visit and let us know how things are going.
Destini
She Nearly Lost Her Independence – Now Her Future is Bright Again
Destini was enjoying the company of her friends, working at her job and looked forward to getting her certification from culinary school. She was excited to start seeing success with her weight loss program and going to the gym when her life unexpectedly took a turn for the worse.
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“Suddenly, simple every-day things like brushing my teeth and hair started to become more and more difficult,” Destini recalled. “As I lost my independence I became depressed and started to worry that I’d never be able to have the life I imagined.”
It was then that Destini came to Kindred Rehabilitation Hospital after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. She was admitted to receive specialized neuromuscular re-education to help her arrest the development of the disease and to regain her strength, mobility and independence.
Her care team developed a specialized plan focused on fine motor work with her hands, lower extremity strengthening, gait and balance training and general physical and occupational therapy. At first, Destini required assistance with her daily needs and mobility. The disease had left her weak and severely impacted her independence, but it wasn’t long before she began to make rapid progress.
“I finally started seeing results working alongside my therapists,” Destini shared. “They helped to keep me sane and focused and helped me push through the pain every day. Now I’m nearly back to where I was before this happened, and I’m glad to say that I’m kicking Guillain-Barre in the behind!”
Destini was released to her home to continue on her journey to recovery. All of us at Kindred are very proud of her accomplishment and glad that we were able to help her get her life back on track. Good luck, Destini! We wish you all the best as you pick up where you left off and hope that you have a healthy, happy life ahead.
Ricky
A Stroke Took His Independence – Ricky Worked Hard To Get It Back
Ricky is an engineer who enjoyed an active and independent lifestyle. He shared what he likes to do the most: “I love to go camping, hunting, fishing – playing golf.” But suddenly everything came to a standstill when Ricky had a stroke in late January that severely affected his speech and mobility.
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Ricky came to Kindred Hospital suffering from extreme weakness throughout his right side, which meant he was unable to walk properly or care for himself. In addition, he was unable to speak clearly, as the stroke had affected the speech center in his brain.
His care team at Kindred developed a treatment plan to help Ricky regain his strength, mobility and independence. He participated eagerly in a daily program that focused on physical, occupational and speech therapy and soon Ricky was walking with a walker and regaining the ability to speak. He made remarkable progress very quickly and is now receiving outpatient care to help him complete his journey to recovery.
“I truly can’t believe how far I have come in such a short period of time!” Ricky said gratefully before he was discharged from Kindred to his home.
Ricky, you are an inspiration to all of us at Kindred Hospital! We wish you the best and we hope that you get back to doing the things you love very soon.
Roshini and Saravankumar
A Father and His Daughter Look Forward to the Future
Roshini and her father were travelling together in their car when they were involved in a horrific vehicle accident. Her father, Saravanakumar, sustained serious injuries, but it was Roshini who suffered the brunt of the impact. Her injuries were far more severe, as she had numerous facial fractures and multiple trauma.
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They were rushed to the ER from the scene of the accident by ambulance and were treated at a general hospital for their injuries. After a three-week stay at the general hospital both Roshini and her father were transferred to Kindred Rehab Hospital to continue their recovery.
On arrival, both were very weak and needed assistance in varying degrees for their daily needs and mobility. Roshini in particular was suffering from memory loss and was still experiencing psychological trauma from the incident. Her father was in slightly better shape, but was unable to sit on the edge of his bed without assistance. At Kindred Hospital, they began to work with physical and occupational therapy and started to make substantial gains toward regaining their independence. Both father and daughter also worked with speech therapists as part of their rehabilitation.
As their strength and faculties returned, Roshini and her father progressed to being nearly independent by the time of their release. Both were walking and climbing stairs and feeling relief that they were both making excellent progress toward healing and recovery.
“Before my accident I was a sophomore in college. I was on the ballroom dancing team and I also love to read and create my own artwork.” Roshini shared. “After the accident I was having difficulty with memory, speech and balance. But the therapists at Kindred have been so helpful and receptive to my frequently changing condition. My goal is to be ready to get back to college on time – and everyone has worked really hard to make that happen, even challenging me when I needed it. Everyone on staff is so friendly and they made a point of coming to say Hi! and see how I’m doing.”
Saravanakumar is a staff engineer who likes to collect coins as a hobby and enjoys travelling with his family and playing cricket and tennis. “The staff here is very friendly,” he said. “Everyone is very helpful, cooperative and interactive. There is good teamwork and I felt like I was at home here. The therapists and technicians – even the ones I haven’t worked with – say hello and ask how I’m doing every time they saw me.”
Roshini and Saravanakumar were both discharged from Kindred to continue their recovery at home. Everyone on their care team was glad to join in for a group picture. All of us want to wish both of them the best as they continue to get stronger and regain their health.