Peggy: Building Strength, Going Home

After living a normal active life, Peggy was diagnosed with a rare neuromuscular disorder. Traditional treatment methods were unsuccessful, and by the age of 59 she was unable to move most of her body and placed on a ventilator.

Following Thanksgiving in 2008 Peggy was admitted to Kindred Hospital Milwaukee. She was weak and only able to move one of her index fingers. Although she had been told she would probably never breathe on her own again, Kindred staff was confident that she could do it.

Peggy’s nerve damage was severe, and she had difficulty gathering the strength needed in her diaphragm to breathe off the ventilator. Eventually she began to make small steps and before long, the Kindred respiratory team was ready to outline a plan for Peggy to wean off the ventilator entirely.

As is common with patients who are on ventilators for long periods of time, Peggy was afraid to breathe on her own. The respiratory staff was integral in calming her fears. They struck a deal with her – if she cooperated with the weaning, they would take her outside to enjoy the beautiful spring weather.

The next week, Peggy stayed off the ventilator for a total of 15 minutes and, as promised, she got to enjoy the outdoors – a celebration for Peggy and the entire Kindred staff. Two weeks later, on April 19, she completely weaned.

Soon after, her tracheostomy collar was removed and she was completely taken off oxygen. She began eating solid foods and to her family’s surprise and excitement, she spoke her first words in months.

On May 4, 2009, Peggy was discharged to a rehabilitation center to continue on her path to recovery. The day she was discharged was an emotional and joyful one for Peggy, her family and the staff who had been with her every step of the way.

Today, Peggy is working hard at the rehabilitation center with therapy in the morning and afternoon. She has progressed to walking on the parallel and plans to be discharged into her sister’s care.