01/01/2024
Sometimes, even the people who care for us need that same care during their lives. Kina Howard, 62, is a registered nurse with experience in trauma centers and neonatal intensive care units. While tending to her 90-year-old father after he was discharged from hospice care, Kina was found by her family one evening non-responsive and experiencing a seizure.
She was rushed her to the emergency room at South Baldwin Regional Medical Center. Where doctors diagnosed a subarachnoid hemorrhage — bleeding into the space around her brain. Kina was transferred by helicopter to Ascension Sacred Heart where a CT scan showed that the cavities around her brain were also filling with fluid. Further testing showed that a tear in one of the arteries of her neck had caused a stroke.
The medical team repaired torn artery and placed a drain in Kina’s skull to relieve pressure from the fluid build-up. Meantime, cascading events added complexity to Kina’s condition. She was diagnosed with COVID-19. The resulting pneumonia required the insertion of a trach tube into her throat and she was placed on a ventilator for breathing support. To maintain proper nutrition, Kina’s doctors also inserted a feeding tube.
Medically stable but weak from her ordeal, Kina could not speak, walk, or breathe on her own. She needed specialized care to continue healing. Her medical team suggested Select Specialty Hospital – Pensacola. When Kina arrived, a physician-led team of expert nurses, therapists and clinical staff developed a personalized treatment plan to help her regain strength and independence.
Though now free of the ventilator, Kina still had a trach tube and was using supplemental oxygen. A respiratory therapist worked with her to lower the amount of oxygen she was receiving, and practice deep breathing and coughing exercises to strengthen her lungs until she was able to breathe on her own and have the trach tube removed.
A physical therapist helped Kina sit at the edge of her bed and practice simple range of motion exercises, such as extending her arms and legs, which would increase her core strength and balance. She continued these exercises adding the use of resistance bands and small free weights for further strengthening before finally standing with assistance.
Occupational therapy focused on retraining Kina on self-care activities. She practiced activities like brushing her hair, changing her clothes and transferring from her bed to a chair. While concentrating on the activities, she further strengthened her body, balance and endurance.
After only two weeks Kina was ready to leave Select, now able to breathe, eat, stand and walk with the assistance of a rollator. She is now back at home enjoying her hobbies and taking daily walks.
