December 20. 2024
In April of 2023, John Weeden fell off a ladder and experienced excruciating pain in his heel. John then was transported by ambulance to the Emergency Department (ED) of Valley Regional Hospital (VRH). Although John was filled with anxiety and was experiencing a great deal of pain, he was pleasantly surprised by the response time of the ED providers as they began to manage his pain and help to get his blood pressure down. After an X-ray and MRI, John learned he had broken his heel. A treatment plan was created which included that he had to remain non-weight bearing, attend physical therapy and be followed by an orthopaedic physician from Dartmouth-Health.
As a resident of Claremont, NH he wanted his care close to home, so John asked for a referral to Valley Regional Hospital’s Rehabilitation Program. He started physical therapy with Felicia Gilcris, DPT in mid-June, and together they discussed the injury to create a treatment plan. At this point John could not walk, and he was relying heavily on others for transportation. The injury really impacted his daily life, so the need to recover was crucial.
His treatment plan started with range of motion and muscle strengthening and progressed to gait training when he was finally given the okay to return to walking. Felicia recommended at-home exercises like writing the alphabet with his foot, and tailored the exercises as he progressed through the program. “I took it seriously and kept up with the exercises that were assigned to me. Felicia made it clear that my recovery was dependent upon me taking responsibility for the exercises at home and I’m so glad I took it seriously.” John noted that over time, he felt welcomed by the whole VRH team from the admitting staff to the rehabilitation staff each time he attended his physical therapy appointments.
While John was experiencing progress, he was limited due to swelling in his leg. Felicia suggested that John see VRH’s certified lymphedema team, Jessica Lawler, MS, OTR/L, CLT and Brian Johnson, COTA, CLT. This aspect of John’s care was also critical to his overall health and improvement. Everyday tasks like putting on shoes became very difficult and uncomfortable from the fluid retention. They managed his swelling with bandaging, manual lymph drainage, and kinesiology tape. They also provided education and techniques to help manage his leg and foot swelling. The overall goal was to increase comfort, function, range of motion, and reduce swelling. “The techniques I learned were extremely helpful in understanding my issue with fluid retention and it helped me with daily management from home,” John explained. “Now, I want other people to know that this treatment is available here in our hometown and it is extremely effective.”
As a result of the VRH ED, Imaging, Rehab team and the experts in lymphedema, John is back to his normal life without limitation.