Patient’s Name: Rachel
Patient’s Age: 41-years-old
Admission Date: 11/05/2019
Admitted From: Vanderbilt Medical Center
Discharge Date: TBD
Discharged To: TBD
Length of Stay: 23 days; currently a patient at Bethany Center
Reason for Stay: Rachel was riding her motorcycle and was in a head-on collision with another vehicle. She had over 30 breaks/fractures from head to toe.
How did patient hear about Bethany Center for Rehabilitation and Healing? Vanderbilt informed her about Bethany Center

Details of Experience:
When we first met with Rachel, she shared, “I came here broken and I want to leave repaired.” We could already tell she was determined to become stronger.

October 20th was a cold, rainy morning. Rachel was riding her motorcycle on some back roads near her home and was hit head-on in a collision with another vehicle. The driver of the other car was a 15-year boy without his license. She explained that it happened on a blind curve and it was the 15-year-old boy’s fault, as he crossed the yellow line. She was slung off her bike, into someone’s front yard and her helmet was removed. When they made it to the hospital and did an examination, they discovered she had over 30 breaks and fractures in her body from head to toe.

She was admitted to Vanderbilt Medical Center. Within the first 6 days of hospitalization, she had 5 surgeries. Some of the surgeries included: adding a plate and screws to her right humerus, fixing her left thumb, stopping internal bleeding, fixing both of her hips by adding plates and screws to the pelvis and adding an external fixator to her left leg. This was only the beginning of her recovery.

Rachel was admitted to the Bethany Center on 11/05/19. When she was admitted she informed everyone that she had been lying in bed for 17 days because she could not bear any weight on any of her limbs, which meant not even sitting in a chair. Rachel said, in tears, “I just want to be able to sit in a chair again.” On her second day, she met with our therapy department. Since they could not get her up for therapy, they had to begin with goals that she could accomplish, as she was bedridden. Since she has been at Bethany, she has progressed so much. Rachel is now able to get up in the wheelchair, attend activities, and experience a sense of freedom.

Occupational therapy has been working on her passive range of motion while in the bed. This means the therapist is doing most of the moving for her to keep her limbs mobile but also working her muscles to keep up some of the strength. Her husband and family come to visit her quite a bit and the therapist has allowed the family to help as well. Physical therapy “PT” has been working on transfers with her into the wheelchair and back to bed. PT is also working on bed mobility and allowing her to be as independent as possible. Rachel’s tech explained that Rachel is independent in using the bedpan, changing her clothes, and pulling herself up in bed. She is a very independent person, but when she is in pain she does not push herself too much.

Rachel’s discharge date has yet to be determined, as she continues to progress in therapy and build strength. She has been here for 23 days and has made so much progress. She has advanced from being unable to get out of bed, to being able to sit in a wheelchair for two hours a day, and now driving a motorized wheelchair for up to 4 hours a day. Our clinical team meets with Rachel often to share her progress and discharge disposition, once she fully meets her goals. Our team has planned a tentative and hopeful discharge date for mid-December 2019. Rachel has remained in good spirits throughout her stay and pushed herself to improve every day. She has also inspired other residents and even our team members to push harder and succeed!