Alderwood Manor gets heart attack patient home in two weeks

After a heart attack and triple bypass surgery, Spokane, Washington, resident Wanda Fullbright was in need of rehabilitation before she could safely return home.

Fullbright chose to do her therapy at Alderwood Manor in Spokane and arrived at the skilled nursing and rehabilitation center on Jan. 25, 2018. She needed training in how to do her daily activities without hurting her heart or aggravating the surgical site.

Physical and occupational therapists got started helping Fullbright work toward her goal of returning home. They met with her six days a week and did a variety of exercises and training specially targeted to her needs. As they engaged her in therapeutic exercises and activities, they made sure to be careful about her heart and chest, where her surgical wound was. They also used neuromuscular reeducation to help her body respond to her commands to move.

"Wanda worked very hard at her therapies and made significant progress every day," said Dawn Brekke, physical therapist.

"The therapists were very encouraging," said Fullbright. "I needed to get the strength and have better balance. They never pushed me too hard. They worked with my own pace, always telling me how good a job I was doing."

Fullbright recovered faster than she anticipated and was able to return home a few days early, on Feb. 8. She was able to achieve her goals within two weeks.