After a traumatic injury or illness, getting back to driving can be a major motivation for Madonna patients. For tow truck driver Dave Woodworth, driving is his livelihood and independence. A workplace accident in January resulted in the amputation of his right leg above the knee. Dave had to relearn how to navigate the world from a wheelchair, and then begin to learn how to use a prosthetic limb.
“It was pretty intimidating coming here missing parts and having a traumatic injury,” Dave recalled about arriving at Madonna. “It was humbling not being able to do much for myself.”
From vulnerable to empowered: Building confidence in everyday tasks
From the beginning, Dave says his care team went above and beyond to make him feel comfortable and confident in his abilities. He had to relearn how to do daily self-care activities like walking independently, showering, changing clothes and using the restroom.
“It’s important to remember the reason people come to us is that they had something impactful happen to them and they do come in a very vulnerable stage,” Bianka Alvarado Milla, OTR/L, Dave’s occupational therapist, said. “We need to meet them in the middle and where they’re at. Putting yourself in their shoes helps them feel heard and respected.”
Dave quickly learned that rehabilitation after an amputation can be a slow and daunting journey.
“When Dave first came to Madonna, I think he was really in the mindset this was going to be a pretty easy process,” Jessica Onsager, PT, DPT, Dave’s physical therapist said. “As we provided some education and talked to him about what life would look like after an amputation, I think he really kind of took a step back and realized this was going to be a little bit more of a process than he originally had thought, and he really embraced that.”
The first goal for Dave’s care team was to build up his muscle strength in his arms and core to maneuver his wheelchair over longer distances. In addition to daily physical and occupational therapy, aquatic therapy in Madonna’s warm water therapy pool propelled his progress. As he mastered the basics of transferring to and from different surfaces and was independent at a wheelchair level, they added in extra challenges, like having him navigate a grocery store.
“For Dave, it was really important to be able to navigate the community without asking for help from other people,” Alvarado Milla said. “A lot of places were not accessible, so he had to figure out how to problem solve how to go up to the cashier, pay for his items and load his stuff in the car. Those things were so important to him, so it was good to see him problem solve, and that’s where his self-advocacy really shined.”
A natural jokester, Dave also found ways to laugh and have fun throughout the therapy process with his care team. He could use adaptive virtual reality equipment to play a giant pinball game, took cooking classes with occupational therapy, went on fishing trips, and took a ride on Madonna’s Action TrackChair.
“While he was riding in that chair, he just had the biggest smile on his face,” Onsager said. “He had so much fun being able to push the limits and be able to be in a different terrain than his wheelchair or his leg would allow him.”
The first step: Learning how to use prosthetic limbs
Four months after his amputation, Dave began working with his new prosthetic leg. He started by standing in the parallel bars to improve his balance, then advanced to using a walker, and later a cane. His care team collaborated with Madonna’s on-site prosthetics partner, the Hanger Clinic, to ensure a perfect fit.
“As an inpatient physical therapist, we oftentimes don’t see our patients work toward being up in their limb,” Onsager said. “A lot of times they don’t even receive their prosthesis when they’re here with us, so that was a really unique experience and we got to work closely with our in-house prosthetist to make those adjustments that he needed, to problem-solve with him and make sure we were doing right by Dave to get him up in his limb and everything feeling comfortable.”
Onsager says Dave has become advanced for a new prosthetics user, mastering skills that may take months or years to feel comfortable with.
“He really picked up on everything quickly and took our advice and feedback by utilizing them,” Onsager said. “Sometimes we joke he has a PT degree by proxy, just by everything he’s learned with us.”
A driving force: Working toward independence in a vehicle
Now able to walk again, Dave also achieved his other independence goal, getting back behind the wheel. Working with Sarah Hamilton, OTD, OTR/L, CDRS, Madonna’s driver retraining specialist, Dave adapted his current vehicle to operate using hand controls. He can break down his wheelchair and take it in and out of his trunk on his own. He passed the driver retraining course, and took himself to and from appointments.
“That felt great,” Dave said. “It felt like not so much need, not so much relying on others.”
Throughout his six months at Madonna, Dave became like family to staff and to other patients. He greeted everyone by name and made sure to ask about their progress. His care team even dubbed him, ‘Mayor of Madonna.’
“He always has a great perspective and outlook,” Onsager said “He really brought that to the entire hospital. He got to know a lot of different patients while he was here and their families and provided them a lot of encouragement and even got to see some of them as they’ve continued in our continuum of care on outpatient and the Rehab Day Program.”
For Dave, he felt inspired by the support and care of his therapy team, and wanted to share that with others.
“The one thing that’s special about this place, I think, is I’ve never felt like a number,” he said. “I’ve always felt like a person, and cared for, and that’s pretty special. I know how intimidating it is to come in here missing parts or after a traumatic injury. It’s nice to see a smiling face that is welcoming, and that’s an easy thing I can do to give back.”
Continuing his effort to give back, Dave is now on track to become a peer volunteer, visiting with patients at Madonna to show them what life looks like on the other side of an injury or amputation. His biggest piece of advice has a touch of humor.
“Stay here as long as you can, and follow directions,” he said. “Listen to what the therapists are telling you and truly, stay as long as you can. I have been here from January to July. The more therapy you can get, the better. I would stay here for another six months if I could!”