Occupational Therapy: Adding Life to Days

Dec 31, 2021

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Traci Gronau, RN, is not a Winfield native but now considers Winfield home thanks in part to the dedicated therapists at William Newton Hospital (WNH). Traci was in a car accident on July 22, 2020 that left her paralyzed from the chest down. On her way to work as a nurse at Newton Medical Center, she was hit by a semi while crossing an intersection.

Traci spent 10 days at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita and then transferred to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, NE. When she was released from Madonna, Traci decided to move to Winfield to continue her recovery at William Newton Hospital, close to her family. Both of Traci's daughters, Kirstie Cates and Courtney Gronau, live in Winfield and worked at WNH at the time of the accident.

Traci's accident occurred at an intersection now being deemed "dangerous" due to a hedgerow that makes it difficult to see oncoming traffic. She didn't see the semi approaching and pulled out in front of it.

"I saw the semi once it was within feet of my driver's side door. I looked over, saw his bumper, and turned my head to get away from the impact. I was conscious the whole time. It dragged me through a ditch, and when it finally stopped I knew I was paralyzed. I couldn't move my legs,"

Traci recalled. Eerily, Traci's crash was in the exact same place as another accident almost 20 years ago involving a man and his two daughters. Back then, Traci herself was among the first to come up on the scene where she learned one of the girls was killed. "The semi pushed me right up by where her cross was. Honestly, it was kind of comforting. Maybe she's my angel now."

TRACI'S INJURIES

Traci was diagnosed as a C5 complete, meaning she won't get back to regular movement. Someone with a C5 incomplete may get some functionality back in their lower body. The C5 refers to the location on the spine the person is paralyzed from. In Traci's case, if it had been just one level higher, she would've had trouble swallowing and breathing. If it had been one level lower, she might've been able to perform basic movements in her lower body that help with mobility. Traci's main injuries included a fractured pelvis, fractured ribs, the spinal cord injury and quadriplegia, a broken scapula/shoulder blade that led to a frozen shoulder, and hand mobility issues. The semi's impact was so powerful it basically broke everything on her left side and shoved her heart over in her chest. "[My heart] was still functioning properly and was doing good. It just wasn't in the space it's usually in." Luckily, the only injury that required surgery was a neck spinal fusion. Shoulder and pelvic surgeries were considered, but are not necessary.

REHABILITATION

Traci had five weeks of home health and then started rehabilitation at WNH. She came several times a week for nine months and finished her therapy in fall 2021. Kathy Kiene, COTA, was her primary therapist for occupational therapy. Traci says Kathy is now not just her therapist, but her friend. "We laughed together. We cried together. When I came to her my left arm was completely at my side, and I had horrible pain. Now I can move it in a lot of directions. I can raise it pretty far out. [ ... ] I've gotten so much more than what I dreamed, not only in the therapy part but the friendships."

Traci explained the therapists at WNH were her first contact with anybody her age or outside of her family since moving to Winfield. "Really, my first friendships in this town came from the therapists at William Newton."

Kathy made a point to involve Traci's family in the therapy process by showing them stretches or techniques to help with recovery. This hands on approach not only helped with morale and accountability, but the entire aftercare process. Traci believes having her family closely involved and her therapist committed to that personal touch made a huge difference in her outcome. "It really impressed me that they knew a lot about quadriplegics. I didn't expect that from a smaller hospital. If they didn't know something, they would research it. I would come back the next time and Kathy would be like 'I need to try this kind of brace.' My husband called her MacGyver because if something wasn't working quite right, she would fix it." Kathy made a custom cup holder for Traci's wheelchair, a gait belt to make transferring easier, and a custom pillow and pillowcases measured specifically for Traci to help reduce pressure on her ear. "I got very personal care. To my delight, it was so much better to come to a small hospital where they were familiar with me and my family."

Kathy also arranged for Traci to meet with another local quadriplegic. She hadn't had the chance to talk to other quads after the accident due to the isolation protocols during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Traci has nearly 20 years of nursing experience. She says her clinical knowledge helped during and immediately after the accident, but for only a part of recovery. During therapy, "They taught me a lot without doubting what I did know. They picked up on what I didn't know and explained a whole lot more about what it meant to my recovery. They really know their stuff."

AFTER REHABILITATION

There is a sign in Kathy's office that reads 'it's not going to be easy, but it's going to be worth it.' Traci said Kathy would always reiterate that during appointments. In the end, Traci says therapy was definitely worth it.

''I'm very thankful. I don't cry in pain anymore when they put to bed or lift up my arm. My ultimate goal was to be able to have [my grandsons] on my lap and be able to drive around. I did that! I'm beyond that."

Traci achieved one of her main goals in late 2021. "One of my grandsons wanted me to hold his hand. Just a few months before, I couldn't get my or away from my body. That day, I actually put my arm down to my side and held his hand while driving my wheelchair. That's something that would have never been possible without therapy at William Newton."

In support of staff members Kirstie and Courtney, immediately after the accident hospital employees had put together care packages and held a fundraiser to help with expenses. Then, "When I started coming here months after the accident, people from all departments still knew who I was when I came through the door," she says, "I felt like I was getting the gold star treatment. You're very much part of a family here."

"It was definitely worth sticking with William Newton. I didn't feel like just a number; it was beyond just patient care. I'd recommend it to everyone, honestly. I would tell my family to drive here over Wichita. They truly cared about helping me to be the best I can be with my injury."

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