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

Back on Top of the Mountain – Dan Skodol’s Success Story

October 18, 2021 | Patient Success Stories
Share
Tweet
Share

By, Allison R. Weder

“You let your guard down, you’re home free. I just finished a run and caught an edge, and very quickly took a big tumble.” A day of skiing quickly turned awful for Dan Skodol. “I imagined a broken leg would be excruciatingly painful, but I wasn’t sure it was broken.” It was. Dan’s surgeon said the break to Dan’s tibia was likely caused by the force of his thigh bone driving into the top of his tibia. Dan was tobogganed down the mountain and rushed to the hospital. There he learned his leg was broken in multiple places. He had one surgery the night of the accident to stabilize the bone while the swelling went down. Then he had another surgery, 2 weeks later. “It included screws and a plate to get everything back together. The doctors said it was rough, but they expected a full recovery. I’m a runner also and skiing was the thing I most wanted to do again.”

After 14 weeks on crutches recovering from major surgery, Dan lost most of the strength and flexibility in his leg. His doctor recommended physical therapy. “I was on crutches for my first evaluation. I was really just using them for support. The very first thing that (my Therapist) told me was, ‘you’re going to have to ditch your crutches’.” Dan’s Physical Therapist wasted no time leading Dan down the road to recovery. Dan recalls each session was packed full of exercises. “Stretches, the stationary bike, stepping exercises, squatting, the leg press machine. I didn’t truly hate anything. There were some awkward and hard to replicate stretches. My hip flexor is nothing I’ve ever paid attention to before, but (my Therapist) had me stretching it. (We did) obstacle courses and used stretch bands.” Dan noticed the progress he was making. Each week, he felt stronger and was able to do more. “I would often come away from an hour-long session and without fail, days later, I was still very sore. I thought that was a good sign. It’s not always apparent right away, but when something is working you’re going to feel it.”

With help from his physical therapy team, Dan’s hard work paid off. And you don’t need to look far to see what kept Dan going during his rehabilitation journey. “We had a baby while I was on crutches. The accident happened while (my wife) was 7 months pregnant. I regained the ability to do a lot of day-to-day things very quickly with PT.” Dan also found extra motivation during his therapy sessions in the clinic. “I liked being in a room with other people who were working on a goal. I thought I’d be by myself, but that wasn’t the case. It was motivating. Everyone was there for the same purpose. I never dreaded going or doing the things I needed to do. I made a large amount of progress in a short amount of time.”

Dan looks back at his time in the clinic fondly and is grateful for the help he found there. “The people are very approachable. You can be open about how you feel on a given day. They were very receptive when I wasn’t having a good day. They modified and were very flexible. They listened to you and adjusted to get things back on track.”

Dan says he’s not back to 100% yet, but he is able to do many of the things he’s been wanting to do like swimming, biking, and hiking. In fact, Dan, who lives with Multiple Sclerosis, successfully completed an MS fundraising hike on the very mountain where his skiing accident took place. Now, Dan is looking forward to skiing again, which his doctors have no doubt will be possible. Possible, thanks to physical therapy. “I would say (PT) is important and it’s undoubtedly a challenge. But it’s good to challenge yourself to feel normal again and get back to where you started. It’s interesting and fun.”

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.
×