Luis, a 46-year-old Fairfield resident, was experiencing some difficulty breathing and went to the hospital. He did not suspect COVID, nor anything that he was about to experience.
When Luis arrived at St. Vincent’s Medical Center’s emergency room in Bridgeport, he was given a chest X-ray and, within minutes, informed he had pneumonia, secondary to COVID-19.
“My whole world dropped,” said Luis.
He was moved to the ICU and informed by his anesthesiologist that his lungs would need to rest, which would require intubation.
“He told me to call my family,” recalled Luis. “Basically, they were telling me there was a chance I might not wake up. I called my wife and two children, and my mother. I can’t imagine what they were going through.”
After 10 days in the ICU, Luis did wake up, and recalls that moment for us: “I remember them taking the tube out of my nose, and then sitting me up. Everyone was clapping. The guy in the space suit (respiratory therapist) was standing on the other side of a glass wall and telling me to breathe.
“‘Breathe and breathe and breathe!’ I was breathing on my own and could feel his excitement. I wasn’t really understanding what was going on. I was out for 10 days and it could have been ten minutes. My brain was barely computing.”
The next step for Luis was the move from the ICU to 10 East, St. Vincent’s dedicated rehabilitation unit for COVID patients.
“This is where I met my angels,” said Luis. “Katie (Ciuci, an occupational therapist) helped me with everything. She would start at 5:30 each morning. Dignity is everything to me and she got that. She was so caring.
“Then I met Lisa (Pane, a physical therapist), who was amazing to me and helped me recover to where I am right now. This COVID is a monster. I was cared for people whose hands I believe are guided by God. These are heroes risking their lives for other people and that’s why I’m here today. There’s no way I can ever repay everyone who has helped me.”
“The person who came here on the 27th of March is not the same person who left on the 25th of April. This thing changed me from the inside. I can feel more, I can understand more, and I owe something to every person who has touched me.”
Pane tells us about 10 East and their experience with Luis.
“He was an amazing patient to work with,” she said. “Luis came to us after being very ill, with almost no memory of what he had been through since arriving at the hospital. He would be needing a lot of rehab, but was young, with remarkable spirit and ready for some hard work.”
Before going home, COVID patients require physical, occupational and speech therapy.
“COVID patients are on modified diets because their throats are weak from intubation,” said Pane. “One of the speech therapist’s goal is to strengthen their ability to swallow. There’s also cognitive impairment that needs to be addressed. Younger patients, under 60 like Luis, tend to respond really well and regain most, if not all, of their cognitive ability.
“As a physical therapist, my job is to help patients like Luis regain their core strength. I work a lot on the legs. Occupational therapy focuses primarily on self-care such as hygiene, dressing and feeding. It’s so important for patients and their family members that we help them become as independent as possible before transitioning out of the hospital.”
St. Vincent’s 10 East was the first inpatient rehab unit dedicated to COVID patients in the state.
“Luis was one of our first success stories,” said Pane. “He really inspired us with his desire to get back to some of the activities he enjoyed before he got sick. As an avid cyclist and Peloton user, we thought he may benefit from moving our recumbent bicycle into his room.”
Pane said Luis was incredibly emotional and moved to tears when he saw the bike.
“He started pedaling,” she said, “just five minutes at first, and building up stamina.”
The cycling action felt familiar and provided Luis with a burst of optimism about his recovery.
“Luis also told us about his other daily fitness routines that he missed – like yoga and stretching,” said Pane. “We were able to get him a yoga mat and he wasted no time in using it. Physical therapy was provided to reinforce his ability to get down on the floor to use the mat, then back up, until his strength was fully restored.”
When the COVID pandemic hit, dedicated healthcare providers everywhere were tasked with incredible change.
“Converting 10 East to a COVID unit certainly had its challenges,” said Pane. “Providing therapy in full PPE (personal protective equipment) can be physically uncomfortable for the therapists, and for patients, not being able to see faces or distinguish us from one another is less than ideal, but we have all adapted.”
Pane said rehabilitation for COVID patients has even been rewarding in some ways.
“These patients tend to get better and stronger faster than others,” she said, “which is exciting for us, and we know we’re making a real difference in their recovery and transition back home.”
For more information about St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, click here.
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