Patients Age: 65-years-old
Admission Date: 06/23/2018
Admitted From: University of Miami Hospital
Discharge Date: TBD
Discharged To: TBD
Length Of Stay: TBD
Reason For Stay: Melanoma and Tear Duct
How did this patient hear about The Encore: VA Hospital Suggested

Details of experience:

Mr. Richard Melito was admitted to The Encore from the University of Miami Hospital for melanoma and a tear duct (skin cancer). He was barely able to function when arriving at the hospital. He was unable to roll over in bed and if he would sit up, he would get dizzy and have to lay down quickly to avoid passing out.

In Mr. Melito’s first week at The Encore, he would only have treatment in his room because he simply was not well enough to leave. His therapists, Eric and Michael, would conduct exercises while Mr. Melito was in his bed. Mr. Melito shared, “My legs were so weak I couldn’t stand. I couldn’t even say the alphabet.”

After a few weeks of slow but steady progress, Mr. Melito was able to join the therapy team in the gym for a short time due to his ability to sit up longer. Mr. Melito would use the seated stepping machine and the standing frame but would have to end his sessions very early due to dizziness from his low blood pressure.

A little time after, Mr. Melito received a cerebral shunt, which helped drain liquid that was causing swelling and had affected other areas of the body, which was causing his slow progress. His blood pressure stabilized. Only a few days later, Mr. Melito began using the parallel bars and was walking 30 feet. Mr. Melito shared, “When I was walking everyone was shocked and they were all cheering and clapping.”
Two weeks after that, Mr. Melito was walking 100 feet with a walker and minimal assist. His progress began improving vastly at this point and with a short time, this expanded to 150 feet with contact guard assist! Just two weeks after that, Mr. Melito was walking 200 feet with only standby assist!

Today, Mr. Melito is able to get out of bed, go to the bathroom, dress, put himself in a wheelchair, and go to therapy all on his own! He is completely independent with a walker! Mr. Melito has taken back his life. He had shared with the Director of Concierge Services, “The therapy has been very good, it pushed me to where I am right now, I couldn’t do anything!”

His therapist, Michael, said, “In all my years I’ve never seen anything like it, his cancer is actively progressing, but every day he’s functioning better and better!”

Mr. Melito is very grateful to The Encore for all his incredible progress and is also very grateful to his amazing wife, Debbie, who has been with him through it all. As Mr. Melito shared with the Director of Concierge Services about his wife, “I hit the jackpot!”
We wish Richard and Debbie only the best going forward and can’t wait to see him keep on progressing!