Always Ready. Always Safe. Learn More About Our Health and Safety Protocols.corona close
Skip to main content
Back to all

Finding Healing, Strength and Family When the Unexpected Hits: Lynn Lundgren’s Success Story

January 3, 2022 | Patient Success Stories
Share
Tweet
Share
By, Allison R. Weder

“It’s scary to think at one minute you have everything and within minutes it’s all gone, and you can’t do anything.” – Lynn Lundgren, Waterford, MI Patient

In an instant, life changed for Lynn Lundgren. The car she was driving was broadsided by another car, leaving her with major injuries. “I broke my left hip, my left wrist, my right ankle and I had four fractures in my back. He hit me on the driver’s side.” Lynn had so many injuries, her broken ankle went unnoticed until her hospital Physical Therapist became concerned when she couldn’t walk. An X-ray revealed the break and Lynn was in the operating room within hours. Lynn spent days in the hospital as doctors worked to make the initial repairs to her broken body. Her hip was so badly damaged, it needed to be replaced.

Once the surgeries were complete, Lynn transferred to an inpatient facility to recover. There she had a taste of physical therapy and occupational therapy. She considered that experience a success. But then came time for outpatient PT and OT. Lynn chose Advanced Physical Therapy Center in Waterford, Michigan, now part of the Phoenix Physical Therapy family. Lynn recalls her first thoughts about the next move in her recovery plan. “I had no idea what to expect. I thought it would be a piece of cake again. I’m so glad it wasn’t because the improvement they made in me in such a short time is amazing. It was hard.” Lynn arrived at Advanced PT-Waterford with a walker, a boot on her ankle and braces on her wrist and back. She needed physical and occupational therapy to help her get back to living life normally again. In OT, her therapist would massage and stretch her hand, wrist, and arm. There were exercises for which Lynn had to put pegs into holes and place clips onto a metal pole to improve her strength and dexterity. Lynn calls another one of those exercises “the box of torture.” An Occupational Therapist would tell you the exercise involves a box filled with rice grains and safety pins. The goal is to pick out each safety pin, separating it from the grains of rice, with your eyes closed. It is not as easy as it sounds!

In PT with Jill Heberling, LPTA, Lynn used the NuStep reclining bicycle and the treadmill. There was stretching, balancing, and flexibility exercises. When asked what was the hardest thing? Lynn responds, “Nothing really. Everything they asked me to do, I’ve been able to succeed at. I hated planks, but I can do planks now! I’m proud of myself for doing them. It made me feel GREAT! It made me feel accomplished, really good and I’m thankful that they worked with me so hard to get me where I am right now.” Jill looks back on her time with Lynn. “Lynn was determined from the initial evaluation to get back to her normal life. Within a few visits, she was often encouraging other patients to work hard to achieve their goals. She went from barely being able to walk into the clinic, needing assistance at home and in a great deal of pain to walking on the treadmill, squatting with weight, and completing tasks at home without assistance.”

Lynn is quick to point out, some days were especially tough for her, but she soon found out she was not alone. “They’re not only therapists, they’re like psychologists. I came in so many times, not in it. I was a mess. Jill just sat down and talked to me. We took it easy, and I felt so much better. I didn’t expect that.”

Five months after entering the Waterford clinic, Lynn arrived at her discharge day. “I couldn’t take a shower by myself. I needed to learn how to eat right-handed. I wasn’t weight-bearing so I could walk. I couldn’t sleep in bed. All I could do was sit. I can do everything now! I’m back to my life!”

Lynn plans to visit the Waterford clinic regularly. “I’m sad. I don’t want to stop. These people have become my family. I’ve been here since June. I look forward to coming here. I always tell people, they’re really nice when you first get here, and then they get tough. But it’s a good tough. I wouldn’t have been anywhere if it hadn’t been for them. I just can’t say enough about this place and people who work here. They actually care.” Jill Heberling, LPTA feels the same about her. “The entire staff grew close with Lynn, and we are all very proud of the work she put in during her physical and occupational therapy.”

Lynn also plans to offer her time to help other Advanced PT patients who may be facing a long road to recovery. She hopes by talking about her journey, she can help others the way another Advanced patient helped her. She met Ken Taylor at the Waterford clinic during one of her first visits. “I never was afraid once I met Ken and heard his story. It made things easier. We’ve all become family.” If you’d like to talk to Lynn, call the Waterford clinic at (248)618-3050 and we will put you in touch with her.

The entire Phoenix Physical Therapy Team is committed to providing our patients with quality physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy in a safe and healthy clinic environment. We continue to follow the guidance provided by the CDC, WHO and public health officials to update you as new information becomes available. Let’s work together to keep each other safe and healthy.

The safety of our patients, communities and team members remains our top priority. We know you have a choice in your care providers and appreciate your commitment to Phoenix and our qualified clinicians.

Here are the actions we have taken to keep our patients, communities and team healthy & safe:

  • Flexible scheduling allows for social distancing
  • Regular cleaning and sanitation of all clinic surfaces
  • Facemasks must be worn by all Phoenix staff and are recommended for all patients
  • Screening questionnaire and temperature checks prior to entering clinics
  • 6 feet of social distancing throughout the clinics

Keeping Our Clinics Safe

Here are some tips on how we can keep each other safe:

  • Handwashing is your best self-defense against the spread of germs. When soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty, use at least a 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Please stay home if you are not feeling well, especially if you have a fever, are coughing or sneezing, or are experiencing shortness of breath. If a patient shows up with symptoms, the clinic team will work with them to reschedule.
  • Be vigilant. If you have traveled to any of the countries where there are outbreaks of the virus, please follow guidance from the CDC website and our Travel Guidelines.

Here are actions we are taking to keep our clinics clean and safe:

  • Equipment will be wiped down after EVERY use with antibacterial wipes/sprays
  • All surfaces that patients or staff may touch including door handles, countertops, seating, pens at sign-in, bathroom and all other common areas will be disinfected regularly
  • Treatment tables will be 6 feet apart
  • Team members will wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, particularly after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing their nose, coughing or sneezin
  • Clinics will have hand sanitizer available at the front desk and in the treatment areas
  • Any Phoenix team members who are ill will be asked to stay home
  • We will maintain social distancing between patients in the clinic
  • Caregivers that are bringing a patient to the clinic should wait in their car or come back when the appointment has ended unless necessary (i.e. minor requiring a guardian or for assistance needs)
  • When possible, we will treat patients in private rooms to increase social distancing
  • Any patients that have underlying health issues (i.e. diabetes, respiratory problems, etc.) will be given the option to be seen during special clinic hours or can opt to be treated in a private room away from other clinicians and patients
  • All patients should be self-screening before entering the clinic. Our PCCs will perform a secondary screening during the check-in process and before patients enter the clinic including a screening questionnaire and temperature check.
×