In Their Own Words
If You Could See Me Now!
Hi Brandy,
Just wanted to give you a follow up on my left arm.
It's 99.99999% back to normal. Hopefully the tiny area I just discovered still needing some good stretching out will be the last still-tight area and once that's all stretched out my arm will be 100%. I'm stretching every night w/o fail which I will continue and expound on the virtues of Richmond PT Care regularly. I simply cannot thank you enough for bringing me back from the brink of disability whole w/o a surgeon's knife coming near me! (: Keep up the fantastic work!
Fondly,
Amy Burt
Patient Appreciation Letter
Patti:
I want to personally thank you and the Physical Therapy Team (Keith, Mary and Megan) for the outstanding care and treatment I received over the past two Months at Physical Therapy and Care.
As you know, I came to your facility several weeks ago in severe pain, unable to stand upright and having great difficulty managing simple activities, such as standing from a seated position or even turning over in bed.
My quality of life had deteriorated significantly and even prescribed pain killers could not keep me comfortable. Thankfully Dr. Meyer recommended your clinic for my physical therapy.
Again I want to express my appreciation for the "personal" care I received. From my original consultation with you, to my PT sessions, I was constantly receiving one on one care from your team. At all times, I felt a very professional, but also a personal concern for my wellbeing and development.
My PT regime was personally developed for my needs and conditions and adjusted as progress was made. Not every technique worked, but when it was determined that a particular method was not providing improvement, the team made adjustments and moved on.
As of today, I am pain free and can perform all my needed daily activities. That said, I agree with you, that my challenge is to keep up with my personal exercises and not slip back to inactivity.
Patti, please pass on my sincere appreciation to your staff and please feel free to share my experiences with Dr. Meyer or anyone else, as you see fit.
Sincerely,
James K. Long, Jr.
You Are the Coach: Choose Your Team
A success story from Physical Therapy Care of Fort Bend - April 2011
Sue decided that it was critical to choose her own team: the best doctors, hospitals and physical therapists. Her shoulder surgery was done at a hospital and by an orthopedist in Sugar Land. Her neurosurgeon is located in the Texas Medical Center and the neck surgery was performed at a hospital in Houston. For her recovery she chose Physical Therapy Care of Fort Bend offering highly trained professionals, patient-centered care and convenience.
"This was an investment in my future and I wanted the best," Sue explained her decision. "Having the ability to independently hand-pick each medical professional allowed me to build a team that would help me to achieve my goals. I wanted physical therapists focused on me and the separate recovery process of each surgery, preparing me to meet the challenges of my schedule during the recovery and returning me to the activities I used to enjoy."
Healing: Hard Work And A Positive Attitude
Sue recounted her first day at the clinic. "The healing began when I sat in the waiting room before my first appointment. Cynthia was walking through and asked me how I was doing. I was particularly sorry for myself that day, dealing with the pain, limited activity and the prospect of a long recovery in addition to the second surgery. When I complained she pointed out 'so time is your friend.' That comment changed my attitude and the long months of recovery ahead became more bearable."
That was when Sue realized that although she would be working primarily with Stacy and Megan, in fact the whole clinic was on her team.
"Their upbeat attitude and passion for their vocation shone through," she said. "It surprised me to realize that everyone was keeping track of my efforts, making sure that my posture was correct and that I was performing the exercises correctly."
"The importance of educating the patient cannot be understated and we all take it seriously," said Patti Kocich, President of Physical Therapy Care. "Helping our patients to regain mobility and flexibility and return to maximum function are our goals but just as important, we want to instill the habits that will maintain their quality of life and help them to avoid re-injury."
"My goal was to return to full function as quickly as possible so that I could resume my life," added Sue. "Each week I could feel the improvement and I can't describe how incredibly exciting it was to regain function and independence. I am continuing to do my exercises at the gym and at home and have included yoga into the schedule while building up to play golf again."
"Because I could choose each member of my team, I know I got the best care."
The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step
A success story from Physical Therapy Care of Fort Bend - August 2010
The Battle for Survival
The nightmare began when Hugo Montemayor came home on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, complaining of a headache. What began as a minor complaint for this 38-year-old heavy duty mechanic from Richmond, Texas spiraled into a high fever that within days sent him to the hospital in Sugar Land.
"At first, he was diagnosed with meningitis and he improved with treatment," said Stephanie Montemayor, Hugo's wife. "However the Friday after Thanksgiving he started to decline."
He became unresponsive and teams of doctors in Sugar Land and the Texas Medical Center consulted as they fought to save him. That Friday afternoon, they called a code on him, put him on a ventilator, transferred him to the Medical Center and admitted him to the ICU in a coma.
In the following weeks, doctors struggled to diagnose and battle the disease that had taken control of Hugo's life. The final diagnosis, Bacterial Tuberculin Meningitis, a rare strain of meningitis, was deemed responsible for keeping Hugo in the hospital for 47 days, 32 of them in a coma.
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Hugo Montemayor (center) in one of his regular sessions works to improve his balance and strength at the Wellness Clinic at Physical Therapy Care of Richmond. He is surrounded by Mary Moreno, Lead Therapy Technician and Keith Brandt, Assistant Clinic Manager and Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant. |
The Road to Recovery
"When he came out of the coma on Christmas Eve, we realized that he was paralyzed on his left side," said Stephanie.
Picking up the story, Hugo described his condition. "The doctors told me that the loss of feeling was abnormal and they thought that it was permanent. They said that I may never walk again and that even my normal daily activities such as brushing my teeth and combing my hair would be difficult for me."
The Work To Regain His Life
Upon discharge from the hospital, Hugo accepted the recommendation of his primary care practitioner, Dr. Reddy to choose Physical Therapy Care for his outpatient therapy. Having been a patient herself, Dr. Reddy had experienced good results with the full-service, independent clinic located in Richmond, Texas.
During the initial evaluation visit, Hugo related the grim prediction to Sal Doceti, his physical therapist. To which Sal responded, "And you believe it."
"In physical therapy, the right attitude is critical for success and hope plays an important role," said Sal to clarify his point. "I certainly did not want to give Hugo false hopes, but I also wanted him to stretch the limit on the prognosis he had been given."
"There is no research to predict long-term outcomes for someone like Hugo, just expert opinion," Sal explained, "so we didn't really know what to expect."
"The staff here looked at the total picture of all that was going on in my life and were very considerate," said Hugo, "They set goals I could reach and they worked around the other things that were happening, like the side effects of the medications."
"Our treatment program is in constant motion and we never allow it to get stale. There are always two plans which are constantly updated: one at the clinic and one at home," said Patti Kocich, President of Physical Therapy Care. "Hugo's determination and compliance were critical to his recovery."
The First Step
"He had come so far and I can remember his first single step," said Patti as she held back tears. "The entire clinic cheered including the patients."
"I've worked with everyone here at this clinic," said Hugo. "At the beginning, two people were on me at all times: one telling me what to do and one holding me up. They motivated me."
Hugo started at the clinic in February, graduated from the wheelchair in May and has been walking independently since the end of June. Currently he works out regularly in the Wellness Program at the clinic.
The Spirit of Thanksgiving
In Hugo's opinion, the slight vision and hearing loss he experiences as a result of the disease are minor. He sees his survival with his sight and all his limbs intact as a miracle.
Summarizing his ordeal, Hugo says "God is good and I am definitely blessed. This illness has been a life changing experience for me and my family. My therapists, Sal and Rachel, and the staff at Physical Therapy Care are a blessing. They are helping me get my life back and to get back into life."
A Special Note of Thanks
I came into physical therapy with pain and reduced mobility from an ankle injury. I had been through physical therapy at a different facility and didn't have much hope that this facility would be different.
All of the staff here are wonderful! Just the attitudes of everyone here helped me to deal with the pain of getting my ankle to move as it should. The care here is truly one-on-one and personalized. I didn't feel like just another day's patient, I felt like I was listened to and felt that my input was welcomed and my complaints were addressed. When my pain was worse I was told how to deal with the restraint that my ankle caused in daily life.
Today, I feel better overall. My ankle is more comfortable for standing, walking and life in general. I had pain in my back, hip and knee because of my weird way of walking, but that has all gone away. I just can't say thanks enough to everyone here for paying attention and taking the time to actually explain what was happening in my ankle. I will definitely be telling anyone and everyone I know that this is a wonderful place to get physical therapy.
Thanks to everyone.
M.J.