Swift Recovery Through In-Patient Rehab After a Serious Fall

William Kemp was in very good physical shape for a 65-year-old until he fell eight feet from a ladder, fracturing his pelvis, left ankle and left wrist. 

The retired industrial foreman from Churchill, Texas, was admitted to the inpatient rehabilitation unit at St. Luke’s Health - Brazosport Hospital after spending a week at another hospital and two more days at a long-term facility.

According to St. Luke’s - Brazosport Neurologist Lyndon F. Barnwell, MD, William was not a candidate for hip surgery because of the location of the pelvic fractures. “He suffered fractures to the superior and inferior pubis rami, which involve a lot of tissue, with ligaments attached to them,” Dr. Barnwell said.  “Trying to access that area surgically to implant pins or screws would do more damage than good. Because the area is so well held together by the tissue surrounding it, often a brace with pain control will result in bones healing in about 12 weeks.” 

William was adamant about one thing when he arrived at St. Luke’s - Brazosport in a wheelchair: he did not want to “spend 28 days in a rehab facility.” Supervising physical therapist Sanjeev Bhatia, PT, DPT, started with an evaluation of William’s mobility. William was shocked when Dr. Bhatia asked him to get up and walk, just hours after his arrival.

"I said, 'Where's the walker?'" William could only walk about four feet on that initial try. Then, Dr. Bhatia asked him to walk using other walking aids to assess his safety and comfort. William felt most comfortable using a four-footed cane. 

"I could walk pretty well with that. There was some pain in my ankle and in my hip, but I could support my weight enough that I didn't put any weight on my left side." By the end of that first session, he climbed 10 stairs and walked another 150 ft. to his room - all in all, it was a busy first day.

“Mr. Kemp’s main objective was to go home, so our priority was to make him mobile again using the least restrictive assistive device,” Dr. Bhatia said. “We try to go gently, but in rehab, we do three hours of therapy, and there's no taking it easy.”

St.Luke’s Health - Brazosport Physical Therapy Assistant Jason McCarey, PTA, recognized that William’s walking boot was restricting his ability to walk. McCarey adjusted the boot for a better fit. “He felt a lot more comfortable and confident after we corrected his walking boot,” McCarey said. William credits McCarey for giving him the confidence to push himself. William walked an amazing 375 feet on that second day and was well on his way to recovery. 

Meanwhile, Occupational Therapist Rowena Loeb, OTD, focused on activities of daily living so William could return home and safely shower, get dressed, and eat with one arm in a sling due to his wrist injury. 

William was discharged after six days, a far cry from the 28 days he feared. “When I walked out of there, I was fully mobile. My left arm was still in a sling with the broken wrist, but as far as my ankle and my hip, I was walking with a cane, which I quit using after three or four weeks.”I quit using after 3 or 4 weeks.”

Approximately three months after his fall, William says his left hip and ankle are healed and getting stronger every day. He can tend to his 14-acre property and enjoy time with his wife and grandchildren. 

“I am getting around pretty good now, but it takes a little effort not to limp,” he said. “When I was in the hospital, I fully expected that I would be walking around the house with a walker for two or three months. Instead, I was mobile two weeks after the fall. I got all of my independence back.”

Learn more about our Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation Services: https://www.commonspirit.org/services-specialties/rehabilitation-therapy