During Covid, I began to more greatly appreciate the heroes and healthcare. It was a few years later that I learned it firsthand.
In the fall of 2021 I was diagnosed with a dangerous sinus procedure. During that surgery, the membrane between the cheek sinus was penetrated so air escaped into my brain.
It took three separate surgeries at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. All I remember, are people that were wearing masks and I could tell they were smiling. Their eyes-their ears -and their hands told me that they were committed to helping me.
It was during the last big Covid outbreak-so Columbia want be to be out of the hospital. Fate brought me to Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains, New York..
In the accompanying article, I met a night nurse, named Moses. We had a pinnacle moment when one evening I wanted to use a wheelchair. Moses told me “we’re not going backwards. I will be behind you and you will not fall.”
I was diagnosed with a vestibular condition. I had balance issues and could not eat. The nauseousness was every day.
Weakened after 80 some odd days, I went home with a wheelchair and a walker. After a couple of months of languishing with in-home PT, Burke invited me back to “ building 8” their rehab center.
This is where I learned how to walk again. My therapist named Kate put me on the road to recovery. She put me into a harness and hoisted me up to the ceiling. When she lowered me down, that was the first time that I felt my feet without holding on.
I work with Kate for about 18 months. All of this recovery phase is dedicated to Kate. Patiently she guided me through the PT necessary to become independent again.
Incidentally, Burke’s motto is “Anything is Possible”. This catchphrase summarizes my experience with healthcare heroes.
Read the full story here.
