Leader0913b

Saturday, September 13, 2014 • Page 1B

The Road to Recovery

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This photo shows Robert Hurt in a coma at Memorial Hermann Northwest Medical Center, where he stayed for nearly one month in April of this year.

Contributed photo

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One Oak Forest man’s ﬁght through surgery, uncertainty By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com Robert Hurt said he had never set foot inside of a hospital for anything beyond the birth of his children before Easter of this year – which made his trip to the emergency room and ensuing surgery and a nearly monthlong coma all the more mystifying. The Oak Forest resident recalls the Sunday evening he came down with a terrible pain. Robert joked that it prevented him from fully enjoying an Easter Sunday meal at his mothers. “The week before that I had a little stomach pain but it didn’t seem out of the ordinary,” Robert said. “That Sunday evening, it got terrible.” Later that night, Robert knew it was time to go. “I turned to my wife, Kate, and said we have to leave,” Robert said. “Something is wrong.”

Robert and Kate rushed to the ER at Memorial Hermann Northwest Medical Center where x-rays revealed Robert had a ruptured intestine. Unable to determine the exact source of the rupture, doctors took Robert away into surgery and subsequently and, during the operation, removed a few inches of his colon. However, the situation would only get worse. “After I went into recovery, it somehow wouldn’t seal right,” Robert said. “I became septic.” Robert ended up being placed in a 23 day medically induced coma, and was placed through a number of antibiotic regimens and ended up with an ileostomy, an opening in his stomach which is used to move waste out of the body and mucus ﬁstula, which allows the bowel to release mucus and gas. For Robert, the sensation of

emerging from his one month coma was a strange one. “It was pretty much like going to bed, not knowing what your friends and family were going through while you’re just lost in space,” Robert said. “They thought about funeral plans and all kinds of things and potential outcomes because this kind of thing does kill people.” Robert’s physical condition also weakened during his time in the hospital. He said at the time he was admitted into the hospital, he weighed about 220 lbs. but left Memorial Hermann weighing 170 pounds. “The skin was just so ﬂappy on my arms and legs,” Robert said with a laugh. “I also thought I could just get up and out of bed but I was like Jell-O. My body hadn’t supported any weight during that entire time and you don’t realize how fast your muscles can deteriorate.”

Path to Recovery Robert said he started off working with doctors on basic movements. Getting out of bed, sitting up, standing up and stretching all became tough challenges for a man who spent nearly 20 years carrying heavy equipment while working in the exhibiting business Robert went through an extensive rehabilitation regimen through Memorial Hermann Northwest’s TIRR center, which offers inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation for people facing a broad spectrum of health issues. Robert said he spent his time not only building his core up, but also working around an eight inch long incision down the front of his body. Robert also recalls even breathing being difﬁcult following his surgery and coma. See Recovery, P. 3B

Practical healing for common athletic injuries: What you can do at home For The Leader Regardless of their skill level and experience, athletes injure themselves. As a sports medicine specialist afﬁliated with Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital, Raj Shani, M.D., sees a variety of injuries in athletes from almost every sport. “The four most common injuries I see in my practice are ankle sprains, hamstring strains, muscle cramps and plantar fasciitis,” said Dr. Shani, an orthopedic surgeon in sports medicine with a focus on surgery of the shoulder, knee and ankle as well as general orthopedics. “For each of these injuries, there are practical steps to take before you see a doctor, and in many cases you can treat the injury on your own. Every athlete should know how to treat injuries immediately after they happen to control swelling and reduce the chance for further damage.” Sprained ankles, caused when the foot extends beyond its normal range of motion on impact with the ground, are the most common injury Dr. Shani treats. “Regardless of severity, I recommend patients use the RICE protocol – rest, ice, compression and elevation – for a sprained ankle,” he said. “Rest

the ankle immediately and apply ice packs for 20 to 30 minutes three to four times a day. A compression dressing or bandages should be used to wrap the ankle to add support. Elevate your foot above your heart while resting to further reduce pain and swelling.” For less common and more severe sprains, he recommends use of a splint or cast to immobilize the ankle, and physical therapy during the healing process. Hamstring strains, also known as a pulled hamstring, are most common in athletes who play sports that require sprinting. “When the hamstring muscle is over stretched or challenged with a sudden change in weight bearing, this strains the muscle,” said Dr. Shani, who is an assistant professor in the department of Surgery at UTHealth Medical School. “Most often, hamstring injuries heal with nonsurgical, practical treatments. Again, I always recommend the RICE protocol. For some patients with more severe hamstring strains, I recommend a knee splint to further immobilize the leg to allow the muscle to heal more quickly.” Muscle cramps result when a muscle is locked in spasm, causing sudden tightness and intense pain. Athletes most commonly experience muscle spasms in their legs, although they are

also common in the abdomen, arms, feet, hands and along the rib cage. They’re most often caused by not stretching enough before exercise, not being well conditioned or dehydration. Dr. Shani recommends stopping the activity that caused the cramp immediately, massaging the cramping muscle and stretching it until the cramp stops. “If the muscle is tense and tight, apply heat packs,” he said. “If the muscle is tender and sore, apply cold packs. To prevent cramps in the future, stretch and hydrate well before exercise and avoid overexertion.” Plantar fasciitis occurs when too much pressure on the plantar fascia, which connects the heel to the front of the foot and supports the arch, causes it to damage or tear, resulting in inflammation. Symptoms include pain on the foot near the heel, pain when using the foot after long periods of rest and greater foot pain after exercise. “To treat plantar fasciitis, I recommend to patients that they rest the foot as often as possible and stop activities that involve the foot pounding on hard surfaces,” he said. “Over-the-counter anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen may help reduce the pain. Many patients find relief rolling the foot over a frozen water bottle for 20 minutes

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three to four times a day. Stretch the ligament as well to reduce pain. Using one hand to support the heel, curl your toes upward and use the other hand to pull the toes away from the foot. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds, and then repeat it 20 times. Calf stretches also help to relieve pain. In about 90 percent of cases, the condition can be treated nonsurgically at home using these simple methods. “Always remember to stop the activity that caused the injury and use the RICE protocol,” Dr. Shani said. “Speedy and proper treatment of sports injuries, from the most simple to the most complicated, ensures the best healing possible to get you back to your sport quickly.”

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