Cory's story
Among his family members, Cory Reeves, 69, is known for his love of dancing and the joy he feels when taking on the role of DJ. A former maintenance worker, when Cory retired, he looked forward to traveling with wife Margaret, more playlists and even more dancing.
But chronic back pain from over ten years of spinal stenosis—narrowing of the spinal canal that puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves—was wearing him down.
He constantly experienced lower back pain, weakness that caused difficulty walking, numbness and the fear of falling. The pain was so bad he often used an electric scooter to get around.
His physicians advised back surgery to help alleviate the pain.
Following the scheduled surgery, Cory wasn’t breathing properly on his own. Doctors inserted a tube from his nose to his airway, and he was transferred to the intensive care unit. After a week, while Cory’s breathing improved, he was very weak, unable to walk or dress himself. Once he was medically stable, his physicians recommended a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation program to help him regain mobility and independence.
Cory chose Helen M. Simpson Rehabilitation Hospital to help him rebuild his life.
Upon admission, Cory met with his physician-led multi-disciplinary care team, which included nursing, and physical and occupational therapists. “Everyone was very involved in my treatment,” Cory said.
To start, his physician prescribed, and nursing monitored, his pain medication--providing relief while helping him remain awake to participate in therapy sessions.
During his first sessions with the physical therapy team, Cory needed assistance from two to three therapists just to get out of bed. While his back healed from surgery, Cory and the team followed key precautions—no bending, lifting or twisting. Guided by his therapists, Cory began with seated leg exercises. He continued to work hard to strengthen his legs, core and arm muscles using targeted stretching, weights and resistance bands.
“I never exercised before, the results took too long and I always gave up,” he said. “I realized I was getting results and that motivated me to do more.”
The care team tapped into Cory’s motivation. One of his therapists remarked, “With a positive attitude, hard work, dedication and adaptive equipment, Mr. Reeves progressed.”
After several weeks of hard work and gains in strength, Cory progressed to getting in and out of bed independently and then walking both inside and outside with a rolling walker for additional support.
Occupational therapy focused on refining his fine motor skills to help him regain the skills he needed for self-care, such as grooming and dressing. He was also taught to use a reacher. The long-handled tool allowed him to remain seated and grasp items from the floor with a telescoping arm—protecting his back.
During other occupational therapy sessions, Cory practiced getting in and out of a car simulator, remembering his back limitations. After a few days, he smoothly checked that milestone off his list as well.
Throughout his time at Helen M. Simpson Rehabilitation Hospital, Margaret and his family visited frequently, supporting his progress and cheering him on. Indeed, the couple even participated in the hospital’s Care Partner program which educates and trains patients - and their families - to help ensure a safe discharge home.
After a month of hard work in inpatient rehabilitation, Cory’s dedication resulted in more praise from his care team. “He is a pleasure to work with and always incorporates humor into everything which is greatly appreciated,” a therapist stated. “He always has a smile on his face.”
More importantly, as discharge came closer, Cory was independently walking 150 feet with a rolling walker, bathing, dressing and toileting independently – and ready to return home with Margaret. He planned to continue building strength with outpatient therapy and looked forward to getting back to listening to music and adding to the playlist of his life.
Cory shares this advice for others who find themselves coming back from a health event: “If you ever have an injury in your life that puts you in the hospital and you have an option to go to rehab, choose it!”