In March of 2019 I became ill. I was unable to eat and had difficulty sleeping, which ended in severe weight loss. I also developed a red, blistering rash. I was admitted to the VA hospital and had several tests done discovering I had lupus.
I was started on Cellcept for the lupus which decreased my immune system to practically zero. On September 17, 2019, I began having trouble breathing if I did any movement and decided to go to hospital two days later.
I was admitted to the VA and around midnight went into respiratory failure and was put on a ventilator. The doctors decided to transfer me to Banner University hospital because they felt I would need to be put on a special machine. While at Banner my kidneys shut down and I was put on dialysis. I was unaware of my surroundings or family that was there. An MRI of my brain was done and there were some spots that showed that the lupus had affected my brain. A doppler of my lower extremities was done because I was unable to move my legs which is when they found a blood clot in my left lower leg resulting in needing surgery for a filter to be inserted.
After a 10 day stay, I was transferred back to the VA hospital. With a few more dialysis treatments, my kidneys recovered and I no longer needed dialysis. I was taken off the ventilator and put on a bipap. I had lost muscle mass and couldn’t move my legs, couldn’t walk, and was confined to my bed. After a 2 week stay at the VA hospital, I was then transferred to Montecito rehab.
Kyle from PT came in right after admission to Montecito. He did an assessment and his encouragement was greatly needed.
When I started PT, I was scared out of my mind. I was afraid of falling and even worse, afraid of failure. After much encouragement from everyone in PT and OT, I figured out if I ever wanted to walk again, I would need to apply myself. Kyle said he would have me walking when I left Montecito and he was right! Even though I have to use a walker, I am back home walking and currently working with home health PT to walk without help. I have nothing but praise for the therapy program at Montecito. They all care about their patients well being and strive to help each patient accomplish as much as possible.
I’m improving each day thanks to the efforts of the Montecito therapy department.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story of success.