[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/08\/matts-inpatient-rehab-story\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/08\/matts-inpatient-rehab-story\/","headline":"Matt’s Story: Recovering from COVID’s Impact at the Inpatient Rehab Unit","name":"Matt’s Story: Recovering from COVID’s Impact at the Inpatient Rehab Unit","description":"Matt, a 47-year-old single father of three, thought the worst was behind him after a week-long hospital stay near his home for COVID-19. But 10 days after his release, the Sarver, Pa., resident continued to have COVID-related problems, including weakness and tingling in his hands and feet. Then he fell, tearing a muscle in his […]","datePublished":"2021-08-16","dateModified":"2023-04-17","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/rehab","name":"UPMC Rehabilitation Institute","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/rehab","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc-rehabilitation-institute\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/stroke_blg.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/stroke_blg.jpg","height":327,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/08\/matts-inpatient-rehab-story\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Rehabilitation","UPMC Stories"],"wordCount":877,"articleBody":"Matt, a 47-year-old single father of three, thought the worst was behind him after a week-long hospital stay near his home for COVID-19. But 10 days after his release, the Sarver, Pa., resident continued to have COVID-related problems, including weakness and tingling in his hands and feet. Then he fell, tearing a muscle in his hip. This time, he went to UPMC St. Margaret where he was admitted into the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute’s inpatient rehab unit. \u201cI knew something was really wrong. I needed a higher level of care,” says Matt.His rehab team did a thorough assessment and began a rehabilitation program aimed at treating Matt’s injury and rebuilding his strength. \u201cAlthough his strength was pretty good, we were on the lookout for any change,” says Debbie Tan, MD, medical director at St. Margaret.A Serious SetbackAs a physiatrist trained in physical medicine and rehabilitation, Dr. Tan focuses on the \u201cwhole person,” not one organ or part of the body. She is aware of complications that can arise in recovering patients, including complications due to COVID-19.Within days of his arrival, Matt couldn’t lift his hands or his arms. Dr. Tan immediately suspected acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) \u2014 a form of Guillain-Barr\u00e9 syndrome that has been associated with COVID. She made arrangements for special neurological testing at UPMC Presbyterian to confirm her diagnosis.AIDP is a potentially life-threatening condition that can lead to paralysis, difficulty breathing, and the need for respiratory support. Because Matt was diagnosed early on, he was immediately started on intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatments. Given soon after the onset of symptoms, the treatment has proven effective in speeding recovery.Matt returned to UPMC St. Margaret where he resumed rehab. He initially needed a special lift to move from his bed to a wheelchair but made quick progress. His rehab team focused on building strength, balance, and dexterity. The AIDP left him without any feeling in his feet or his hands. They taught Matt to visualize his feet and where they were positioned. His hands were like claws, so they worked on his fine motor skills. They also worked on activities of daily living \u2014 getting in and out of bed, toileting, dressing, and bathing.\u201cI went from being completely bedridden to being able to sit up on my own, then stand on my own,” says Matt. \u201cI was really excited about the way treatment was going.”Another Serious SetbackFive days after his return from UPMC Presbyterian, Matt experienced chest pain. Scans revealed blood clots in his legs and a dangerous pulmonary embolism, or blood clot, in his lung. He was put on a blood thinner and moved to the acute care floor at UPMC St. Margaret.After a week, Matt was given the okay to resume rehab. \u201cI was ecstatic. I was so happy to get back to work,” he says. \u201cI knew how passionate everyone there was about helping people get better. It was the environment I needed to get better.”Over the next three weeks, Matt’s progress accelerated. At first, he could only stand for 10 seconds and needed two or three people to help him walk. He later used a special harness for support while walking on a treadmill. Every day brought a new milestone: standing up from a wheelchair, standing on his own, taking steps, going from a walker to a cane, and going up and down stairs.\u201cWhen I broke the 100 steps mark, that was a big deal. Moving on to a cane was the next big step,” says Matt.Because he’s a single dad, the team also worked on simulating everyday tasks \u2014 doing laundry, making simple meals, using stairs, and getting in and out of a car. Playing interactive video games and air hockey made rehab fun while also improving balance, hand-eye coordination, and endurance.\u201cEverything they did was aimed at getting me back to where I was,” says Matt. \u201cAll the occupational therapists, physical therapists, doctors, and nurses helped me believe I was going to leave the hospital and return to normal.”Another ScareMatt was close to being discharged when he experienced another scare \u2014 severe abdominal pain. But a CT scan showed it was a kidney stone that passed harmlessly.It was just another example of the complete care he received during his hospital stay, he says. Dr. Tan, who managed his care, was quick to raise a flag and get other specialists involved when she suspected something was wrong. \u201cShe always made sure I got the right treatment and care,” says Matt.\u201cI felt like I built a relationship with everyone in rehab. They took time to understand how I was feeling and picked up on things when something wasn’t right.”Finally, on March 25 \u2014 52 days after he was first admitted to inpatient rehab \u2014 Matt walked out of UPMC St. Margaret. He returned home to his children and in May returned to his full-time job as an electrical engineer.\u201cThey told me I would walk out of there, and I did. It was amazing,” says Matt. \u201cWords can’t express how grateful I am. How do you thank someone for giving you your life back?”Editor's Note: This article was originally published on August 16, 2021, and was last reviewed on May 19, 2022."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2021","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"08","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/\/08\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Matt’s Story: Recovering from COVID’s Impact at the Inpatient Rehab Unit","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/08\/matts-inpatient-rehab-story\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]