Recovering function and mobility after an injury, illness, or prolonged hospital stay can be a challenging journey under the best of circumstances. However, as Mary Bruns, 82, recently discovered, the right rehab staff and facility can make this often-difficult journey not merely tolerable, but enjoyable and invigorating.
Bruns, who was born with spina bifida, had developed a neurological condition that affected her spinal cord and spent 16 days in the hospital. “I was flat on my back and unable to get out of bed,” she recalls. “Being completely immobile in that manner felt like a prison sentence. I never got a clear diagnosis, but after two CT scans, an MRI, and two X-rays, it was determined I had a little twist at the bottom of my spine, and the neurosurgeon said it was way too dangerous to operate.”
Following her hospital stay, Bruns went to The Gardens of St. Francis, a member of CHI Living Communities located at 930 S. Wynn Road in Oregon, Ohio, for physical and occupational therapy. The expert, dedicated therapists soon engaged Bruns in a variety of exercises and activities to help her get out of bed, strengthen her balance, and regain normal function to the extent possible.
After 16 days of immobility in the hospital, Bruns found this regimen gratifying. “I loved it,” she enthuses. “I thought it was great. All the therapists I worked with were just wonderful people! They wore me out, but I didn’t mind because I was really motivated to get back to doing the things I was able to do before.” She was impressed with the therapists’ attention to detail in creating her program. “They really taught me a lot—and not just the obvious things such as how to sit down and get back up. They also focused on the little things people do every day but don’t even think about. They anticipate everything,” Bruns says.
Bruns’ appreciation of The Gardens of St. Francis wasn’t limited to the staff but extended to the entire facility and campus. She explains, “The facility is beautiful and so well kept. The food is good, the atmosphere is good, and everything is kept very clean. I even got to know the cleaning lady and really came to love her. I would recommend The Gardens of St. Francis to anyone and would absolutely go back there myself.”
Elaborating on the quality of the food, Bruns has nothing but praise for the meals she enjoyed at The Gardens of St. Francis. “The chef makes the best cream soups I’ve ever tasted,” she says. “I kept telling people there that they need to get him to write a cookbook. Also, if you don’t like what’s being served for a particular meal, you can just let them know and they’ll bring you something else.”
As of this writing, Bruns is able to get around her house with the aid of a walker but still finds it somewhat challenging to navigate around furnishings and other obstacles. She continues doing physical therapy at home and has set a goal for herself to leave the walker behind. “I have places to go and things to do. I have to get going again!” she exclaims. ✲
