Patient Testimonials

Getting Back to the Life You Love: My Walking Recovery Miracle

It all started when I got real sick and had to go to the hospital in Lake Charles. I had low blood pressure and a bunch of other stuff wrong in my body. They kept me in bed a long time and something happened to my walking ability during that long time in bed. I lost my balance and strength in my legs and I had to start all over to learn to walk again.

This makes the third time that I had to learn to walk in my life. Believe me, it took a lot of hard work and pain to get through this period of my life.

The hospital kept me for 3 or 4 weeks and I had to nearly fight myself out of there to be transferred back to Westwood Manor Nursing Home where my wife was. I hadn’t seen her in 4 or 5 weeks and I missed her badly. Westwood gave me 20 days of free therapy and I took advantage. There were great people to to give me the basic exercise.

They taught me balance and ways to strengthen my upper body as well as my legs. I was starting to get excited when I started walking with a walker a little bit and then I had to leave because my 20 days was up and I didn’t have the money to stay.

I went home and started my own therapy program on my front porch. I have a handicap ramp with a banister on each side. I walked slowly up and down that ramp every day. I measured the ramp and walked so many rounds from the bottom of the ramp to the top and recorded this information in a notebook. It became a hobby of mine every day. I started out holding on to a banister and then turned loose to walk freely without holding on. I got real excited and I worked hard to improve it every day. Then I used a cane to walk to my mailbox (200’ away).

I was so happy to accomplish that milestone. Today I still use a cane on a long distance to help me be more stable, but I can still walk free of any help if I go slow and be careful. God gets all the glory for helping me. It really feels great to be back walking instead of a wheel chair or walker. I try to improve more each day. People take walking for granted. It is a blessing to be able to walk and people need to thank God for that ability.

David Young
5-25-2022

Q&A with David Young

What did you enjoy doing before being admitted to (Westwood Manor Nursing Home)?

“I used to walk down the road a good ways. I take care of my yard and a couple of other yards. I love to be with my wife and we used to go on trips together.”

What goals did you have when you started therapy?

“To be able to get back to walking more normal without worrying that I wound fall down.”

What did you enjoy most about participating in therapy?

“I really enjoyed making progress and the excitement of realizing I could do it. I really was happy to get out of wheelchair and walk on my own.”

After you discharged home, what activities or hobbies did your return to participating in?

“I practiced what I had learned. I colored a lot in my book. I love to sit on my porch, hold my cat and swinging a lot.”

What advice would you give to other patients participating in therapy?

“Don’t ever give up on your goals in life and always give God the thanks for your progress and you will go a long ways down a road to happiness.”

Therapy Team:

David Young came to us following a medically complicated, prolonged hospitalization causing him to be bed bound. He went home in December of 2021 and he back to living independently and driving in the community. He said he took home what we taught him and has been building on it every day and he has a new lease on life