Sheila’s Story
Keeping up with her grandchildren is a priority for Sheila Frink.
The recently retired Director of the Anamosa Ambulance Service moved to North Buena Vista in June 2023 to be closer to her daughter’s family.
“We have three grandchildren, ages 10, 8 and 5, that we love to spend time with. In order to keep up with them and all their activities, I had a total knee replacement in Cedar Rapids on January 17, 2024. I was so grateful that I only had to travel 20 minutes for my follow-up physical therapy at Guttenberg Hospital,” said Sheila.
Immediately after surgery, when they got Sheila up and walking on her new knee, she struggled to lift her ankle of the same leg. Two days later, she began physical therapy and after her initial evaluation with Joel Gourley, DPT, she was diagnosed with foot-drop, most likely caused from overstretching the nerve during her surgery. Joel contacted the surgeon to inform her of Sheila’s condition, creating a new plan of care once proper healing allowed.
“I was very frightened that I would never walk normal again,” reflected Sheila. “I came into physical therapy with not just one problem, but with two. Reassuring me that I would recover, my therapists worked on both areas, mostly concentrating on my knee to start with.”
Sheila’s knee rehab included lots of stretching, straightening and strengthening exercises, with visits three times per week, working down to one visit per week. Because the foot-drop was a huge tripping hazard, the therapists taught Sheila a different way to walk, being mindful to pick up her foot so she would not trip.
While Sheila’s knee therapy was wrapping up, another order was placed for physical therapy to strengthen her ankle. After three total months of physical therapy for both her knee and her ankle, and her diligence to do her exercises at home, Sheila’s ability to lift her ankle returned.
“Once I got strength back in my ankle, every advancement was so great! I still can’t lift my big toe, but I do my exercises daily and know it is improving. It will just take time,” she said.
When asked about her experience at GMHC, Sheila exclaimed, “My therapists were great! They were compassionate but tough! They worked me hard and I appreciated it. Their encouragement helped me keep going when I got discouraged. They celebrated my improvements and made sure that I knew I was making progress.”
She added, “I really like the smaller, home-town feel here at GMHC, where I truly feel like I am treated like family.”
And, speaking of family, Sheila is now back in her athletic flip-flops attending her grandchildren’s numerous summer activities, and keeping up just fine.