A Long Road Ahead: A Patient’s Story
July 6, 2023
Health NewsJeff Chapman Has Come a Long Way Thanks to Northern Nevada Medical Center
Most medical emergencies are unpredictable and Jeff Chapman’s experience was no different. While going about his day, Jeff lost consciousness in his bathroom, which resulted in him hitting his head on the wall. After regaining consciousness, Jeff found that he was unable to move and was immediately taken to the emergency department.
During his ER visit, Jeff was diagnosed with central cord syndrome, which is when the spinal cord’s ability to transmit messages from the brain are damaged. He was immediately scheduled for surgery.
Inpatient Rehab at Northern Nevada Medical Center
Although his surgery was successful, Jeff was aware of the long road ahead of him. Still unable to move, he was referred to Northern Nevada Medical Center (NNMC) inpatient rehab therapies. During his 20-day stay, Jeff was consistently impressed with both hospital and therapy staff. “My two certified nursing assistants that I had for the majority of my stay were empathetic and always there when I needed them,” he said. “They are both such great people and I was so lucky to have them.”
Jeff said that because he was a patient for an extended period, the staff he encountered during his stay made an imprint in his memory. This includes the inpatient therapies team who helped Jeff to recover from his incident and surgery. “The therapy team never took me saying I couldn’t do something and instead kept pushing my limits until I discovered I could do it,” he said. “It’s hard to look at where I was after my accident and where I am today because it’s not the same place. I’ve come quite a distance and it’s because of those on the sixth floor.”
A Persistent Social Worker
Jeff’s progress might have been halted if not for the social worker assigned to his case who fought for his continued care. “Our social worker worked endlessly to ask my insurance for a few more days at NNMC,” he said. “She was adamant that I was making so much progress that it didn’t make sense to cut it short because of my insurance coverage. She was also able to get my insurance to okay Rehab Without Walls, a continued rehab program for when I returned home. She was just great.”
Jeff went from being unable to move to standing, walking and performing essential movements on his own only a month after surgery. Although Jeff said he is losing more pool games than before, he is proud to at least be playing the game!
As demonstrated by Jeff’s experience, hospital staff from all departments contributed to his long-term recovery and ability to get back to life.