By Caiti Bobbitt When John and Julie Kuhlman met while students at Western Washington University, there was a time Julie might have called it luck. Only later did she learn that John had carefully planned their “lucky” meeting. Julie lived with John’s sister, and, in an effort to get to know her, he invited the roommates over for dinner. “We had spaghetti at his apartment, and we have been together ever since,” said Julie. That was January 1981, and while 42 years have passed, the pair continue to mark the date in the same way. “He’s a fantastic cook, but nothing beats his famous spaghetti,” Julie said. A lot has happened in those four decades together— two successful careers, raising a beautiful daughter and several relocations. One of their biggest moves was in January 2022, when the pair moved from northwestern Washington to Hayden, Idaho. It was supposed to be the next chapter of their love story, celebrating the fruits of their labor, but in September 2022, John’s health took a turn for the worse when cirrhosis of the liver put him into a coma. “I was thinking the absolute worst,” Julie recounted through tears. Beginning treatment John spent a week in the critical care unit of Kootenai Health before being air transported to the University of Washington in Seattle, where he ultimately received a liver transplant. While his liver function steadily improved, his care team in Seattle noticed other side effects unrelated to his transplant. An MRI revealed John had a condition called osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS). ODS is a brain injury that can occur when a patient experiences a rapid elevation of sodium levels. “John didn’t have a stroke, but his symptoms mirrored one,” Julie explained. “He has apraxia, a loss in the ability to do skilled movements, which impacts his speech and physical abilities.” He spent a total of two months in the Seattle hospital recovering from the transplant. It was there his life was saved, but if he were to have any quality of life, he would need to begin working with a team of rehabilitation providers. Surviving, on the road to thriving “Would you look at that,” Julie exclaimed while watching John march past her using a single trekking pole. When he came through the doors of Kootenai Health Rehabilitation Services only a month prior, he relied on a four-wheeled walker to walk. “I don’t think what we are experiencing right now is the new normal, because under the care of these therapists, I think he is going to keep improving,” Julie said confidently. John’s care requires a collaborative approach from Kootenai Rehabilitation Services’ neurological team, which for John means working with both a physical therapist and a speech therapist. He meets with physical therapist Rich Mehlbrech, PT, DPT, NCS, CSCS, who only works with neurological patients, and Rich’s third-year physical therapy student, Ty Harry, twice a week to regain strength, stamina and fine motor skills. “John has made a lot of improvements, and I believe he will make many more,” said Rich. To help restore his speech, John sees Holly Alling, MA, CCC-SLP. “John is a special case, but we have a great team with a lot of experience in treating complex diagnosis,” Holly explained. Progressing as a team The outpatient neurological rehabilitation team at Kootenai Health meets weekly to discuss their shared patients’ care plans. They stay in regular contact throughout the week about their patients’ progress and struggles. “If you look at the research, it shows this integrated approach care model is better for patients,” Rich noted. Kootenai Health Rehab Services is the only clinic in northern Idaho to have physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy under one roof. That means better collaboration among the providers and better outcomes for their patients. “It is definitely a team approach,” said Holly. “We are all in this together, and we all support each other.” John is a great example of how the disciplines work together for the patient. His work with Rich and Ty Surviving and Thriving Kootenai Health Rehabilitation Services integrates care for the best patient outcomes 18
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODQ1MTY=