Success Stories

The impact caused multiple fractures to his pelvis and numerous contusions and wounds that required care. He went into respiratory failure as a result of the accident and Jose had to be placed on a ventilator, and then he unfortunately developed pneumonia. His physicians had to start Jose on a course of IV antibiotics to treat the septic infection he had developed.

Once he was stable and able to be transferred, Jose came to Kindred Hospital San Antonio to receive pulmonary therapy and rehabilitation. Jose had his family at his side praying for a miracle as their grandmother – Jose’s wife of 41 years – had died from cancer just six months before. A care team comprised of physicians, nurses and therapists worked together to help Jose start to heal and then, shortly after coming to Kindred, the warm-hearted gentleman with a positive attitude started to make measurable strides forward toward his recovery.

Jose’s respiratory therapists were outstanding in their efforts and helped Jose wean completely from the ventilator in only three days. Through diligent work with his therapists he progressed from being completely bed-bound and unable to move on his own, to finally being able to stand and begin to walk with minimal aid and a walker. With the help of his speech therapist Jose regained the ability to swallow and speak and began to drink and eat a normal diet, and his nursing team helped Jose’s wounds to heal.

“My care has been great,” Jose said before he left Kindred to return home. “My grandkids are excited that I’m coming home and so am I.”

He was rushed to the hospital where physicians had to place him on a ventilator to support his lungs and diagnosed him as suffering from acute pneumonia. At the hospital, Marcus remained in a coma and was in poor physical shape as he was also very overweight.

When his doctors managed to stabilize his condition, Marcus was transferred to Kindred Hospital San Antonio Central to receive advanced respiratory therapy and medical management, and begin rehabilitation and nutritional counseling. When he first arrived at Kindred, Marcus was still in a coma, and when he finally regained consciousness he was extremely confused and emotional about his situation.

The beginning of his recovery was difficult as he was unable to communicate verbally and relied on his team of caregivers for all his needs. His respiratory team applied aggressive respiratory therapy to strengthen his lungs and soon Marcus began to make progress. His dietitian managed his nutrition which he was receiving by means of a feeding tube and helped Marcus begin to lose weight, which also contributed to his recovery. His physical and occupational therapists worked diligently with Marcus to help him regain his mobility and independence and he was soon up on his feet and walking short distances with assistance.

As his lung function improved, Marcus was able to begin communicating with a speaking valve and not long afterward he was able to be successfully weaned from the ventilator. This milestone allowed Marcus to be discharged from Kindred to return home and continue his recovery with home health. He still had the breathing tube in place due to the fact that he needed supplemental breathing assistance, but once Marcus had lost forty pounds he was able to have the tube removed.

Just recently, Marcus visited the hospital to share some great news. “I just graduated from barber school!” Marcus said. “I wanted to come by and say thank you again to everyone who helped to save my life. I am especially grateful to Sherie, Heather and Chelby for doing an outstanding job with my physical therapy and rehab – they never gave up on me – and also to my speech therapist for helping me speak again. I’ve now lost a total of eighty pounds!”

Physicians diagnosed Michael to be suffering from pneumonia that was escalating rapidly. Unfortunately, his condition was very severe and it led to respiratory failure. He had to be given a breathing tube so a ventilator could support his lungs. Unable to eat or drink, he also was given a feeding tube to administer nutrition. Michael’s medical condition was further complicated as he developed kidney failure and became septic; his gallbladder also was affected. He suffered from numerous reactions to medications and was in a very critical state when he was transferred to Kindred Hospital San Antonio Central.

When Michael arrived at Kindred he began to receive advanced pulmonary therapy and his physical and occupational therapists started the process of rehabilitation to help restore his strength and mobility. Progress was very slow at first as he was severely weakened by his condition, but step by step, Michael and his family began to see glimmers of hope since he was first admitted to a general hospital over three months ago.

“I honestly felt I was going to die,” Michael shared. “It’s been very frustrating because of how long it has taken to get to this point, but since coming to Kindred I am much more encouraged. I’ve gotten a lot of positive reinforcement. Shawn, my therapist, works me hard and my respiratory therapist Celia is very helpful and kind.”

“My wife and daughter have been saying to me ‘come home!’ and it looks like I’m finally getting close to being able to do that,” Michael affirmed. “After three months of lying in a hospital bed I am finally able to stand and I’m getting stronger every day.”

At the hospital, physicians determined that Yolanda had suffered a heart attack -- she had to undergo surgery to place two stents in arteries that were blocked. Yolanda also developed additional complications, including a septic infection and a spasm in her trachea, requiring a breathing tube to be placed in order for the ventilator to be able to adequately support her lungs.

She remained at the general hospital for an extended period of time as Yolanda was not making much progress toward recovery – she was retaining a great amount of excess fluid and was not able to be taken off the ventilator. Only when she had become sufficiently stable was Yolanda cleared to be transferred to Kindred Hospital San Antonio Central to receive advanced respiratory therapy and rehabilitation.

When she first arrived, Yolanda was understandably nervous after a prolonged hospitalization. She needed support and encouragement from her team of caregivers to overcome her anxiety about the aggressive respiratory treatments her therapists started to strengthen her lungs. She experienced a few setbacks along the way, but day by day Yolanda made progress and was able to tolerate more and more time off the ventilator until she was able to be weaned successfully, requiring only supplemental oxygen at night. Shortly thereafter she made significant gains with her physical and occupational rehabilitation. as she had lost her mobility and also the ability to take care of her daily needs. She had to relearn how to do simple things like grooming herself and brushing her teeth, but she was motivated and encouraged by her team. Yolanda was able to regain virtually all of the abilities to take care of herself and delighted when she was cleared to be discharged from Kindred to return home.

“I can’t believe I’m going home,” Yolanda expressed. “I want to especially thank everyone on my respiratory team and Esmeralda in particular for getting me out of my room and keeping me motivated. To all my nurses – thank you for your wonderful care and attention and a special shout-out to Mark for getting me my popsicles and also to Mickey in medical records for bringing me diet root beers and cheering me up. I am determined to lose weight so I can get a kidney transplant and look forward to building up my confidence and endurance.”

Paramedics rushed her to the hospital and she had to be placed on a ventilator as she was unable to breathe on her own. Diagnosed with acute respiratory failure, Rachel remained unresponsive and in a semi-vegetative state; a feeding tube supplied her with nutrition while the ventilator supported her lungs.

After a long period of time without Rachel showing any signs of recovery, her physicians counseled her family that there was no more to be done and recommended taking her off life support. As her family faced having to make an unimaginable decision and just four days after physicians issued a dire verdict, Rachel finally regained consciousness. She was transferred to another hospital and then came to Kindred Hospital San Antonio to receive advanced respiratory therapy and rehabilitation.

Right from the start, even though she was weak from months of bed rest and inactivity, Rachel was motivated and maintained a positive attitude. She had been successfully weaned from the ventilator before she arrived, but was still dependent on supplemental oxygen and still had the breathing tube in place.

Rachel’s respiratory, physical and occupational therapists helped her stage an amazing recovery. Working together with her physicians and nurses, and in just a matter of days, Rachel was able to have the breathing tube removed and was no longer dependent on oxygen. She made incredible gains in the rehab gym as well, and went from being unable to get out of bed and stand on her own to walking with only the assistance of a walker and being able to do all the activities of daily life. Then, not even two weeks into her stay, Rachel was elated when she found out that she was going to be discharged from Kindred to return home.

“It is because of the help that I received here at Kindred that I got better and stronger,” Rachel shared just before she returned to her home. “Now I just want to continue improving so I can go back to playing pool and bingo with my six sisters.”

Diane would go on to be hospitalized two more times, and each time physicians thought she had pneumonia from which she was having extreme difficulty recovering. The last time she was brought in to the hospital, her family felt it might be her last because her condition had worsened dramatically. She was dependent on a ventilator for breathing and a feeding tube for nutrition, and Diane had become unresponsive and extremely debilitated.

However, this time was to be different. Diane was finally diagnosed correctly with a fungal lung disease that requires specific antibiotic and respiratory therapy. She started IV treatments and was brought to Kindred Hospital San Antonio for long-term care and continued medication with antibiotics. Under the care of a highly experienced team of respiratory therapists, nurses and physicians, Diane began to stage a miraculous comeback.

As her lungs recovered and her body grew stronger, she made excellent progress in regaining the ability to breathe and she was weaned from the ventilator. Diane also began to work with her physical and occupational therapists and was very motivated to continue getting stronger in order to be able to return home and start to sew again – her lifelong passion and something she had not been able to do for nearly three years.

“I have had the best experience with medical care and support here,” Diane shared. “Everyone on staff and the doctors are all very attentive. My nurses helped nurture and support me, therapy got me stronger, and respiratory helped get me breathing on my own. God has blessed me and I walk the halls so that patients who are worse than I am can see me, and I pray for them and that they will look at me for strength.”

Her medical challenges led to her developing an extremely high fever, and the infection caused Vickie’s white blood cell count to rise alarmingly. Her delicate condition was further complicated when she became septic and this would become the start of what would go on to be a very long journey to recovery.

During the next six months, Vickie was admitted and released from several acute care hospitals and a skilled nursing facility. Unfortunately she was not able to make progress toward recovery until she came to Kindred Hospital San Antonio Central to receive advanced respiratory therapy and rehabilitation with the hope of returning her quality of life and independence.

At first, Vickie was very weak and she struggled to make any improvements in her condition, but with her daughter at her side every day urging her on and an attentive team of caregivers working together to help her regain her health, Vickie finally began to make small gains. As her condition began to improve, Vickie’s attitude changed dramatically and she started to put more effort into her respiratory therapy sessions. She made excellent progress in physical and occupational therapy as well.

Just before Vickie left Kindred, she shared some thoughts on her ordeal and the care she received at Kindred Hospital. “This has been a long journey,” Vickie reflected. “Sometimes you just have to hold on to the seat of your pants and never give up. My daughter was my biggest supporter and even though she was afraid she might lose me, she was always there for me. And it helped that I had amazing nurses and an outstanding respiratory therapy team too. Now I’m hopeful for the future.”

He was admitted to the ICU at general hospital when his kidneys failed. He started to suffer from numerous complications and had difficulty breathing. His physicians struggled to stabilize him and he was transferred to Kindred Hospital San Antonio Central for long-term care and rehabilitation.

With his wife with him throughout his long hospitalization, Nathaniel slowly began to regain his health. His team of physicians, nurses and therapists guided Nathaniel on his journey of recovery until he was able to reclaim the ability to function independently again and return home with his loving wife.

“I am grateful to my Kindred team and to be going back home,” Nathaniel said. “The staff went above and beyond and I would not trade this experience for anything. I simply put myself in God’s hands with my wife by my side.”

Diana was transferred to Kindred Hospital for vent weaning and further care. Within a couple of weeks, the respiratory therapists were able to successfully wean her from the ventilator and remove her tracheotomy.

Our speech therapist, along with the dietitians, worked with Diana to get her back on track with her speech and eating regular meals again! Thanks to the rehabilitation, she is now able to walk 625 feet with a rolling walker and she is so happy. Upon discharge, she expressed how much she loved the care she received from all the nurses, CNA’s, RT’s, dietary, and rehab. She even requested to take a farewell picture with everyone included! We are so proud of Diana and happy to see another patient going home!