Amy Weiss | Dec 30, 2020
It was a beautiful August morning, and Steve Woodley was riding his bike around the north end of Lake of the Isles. Even though it was a sunny summer day, the change of seasons and his son's October wedding were just around the corner. Suddenly, Steve hit a patch of gravel and lost his balance. He fell on the pavement—hard. When two runners noticed Steve couldn’t stand, they called an ambulance. The emergency room doctor soon told Steve he’d fractured his left hip and broken a bone in his left arm. He had surgery the next day.
Because Steve’s arm was broken, he couldn’t use a walker to help heal his hip. Three days after his surgery, Steve came to Transitional Care at the Walker Methodist Health Center. A friendly, skilled team of physical and occupational therapists worked with Steve on his road to recovery.
“They continually pushed me, but they were always positive and encouraging,” Steve said. “It was obvious they truly enjoyed their jobs at Walker Methodist…and serving residents like me.” The transitional care team was there to help around the clock and created a personalized rehabilitation care plan for Steve. At first, he was worried he wouldn't be able to walk in time for his son's wedding, but soon Steve started to make progress.
One week later, Steve, with the assistance of a cane, walked out the front door of the Health Center. Four weeks later, the hip surgeon gave Steve the go-ahead to get back on his elliptical machine, which was a relief to the avid cyclist. Though he continued his rehab exercises at home, he gives credit for his fast recovery to his surgeons, his wife Kathy, and the rehab team at Walker Methodist.
Thanks to their help, Steve walked down the aisle at his son’s wedding two months later—without a cane. “I got great care at Walker Methodist, and my wife and I contribute to the Foundation because we want others to have the same high-quality care,” shared Steve. “I could definitely ‘feel’ the love at Walker Methodist.”
