Recovery from an Injury or Illness Doesn’t Have to be Stressful 76-year-old Melvin Yow, a very well respected community leader, small business owner and Fire Chief (for over 34 years) from Lillington, NC was admitted to Emerald Health & Rehab Center following a brief hospital stay at Hanover Regional Medical Center. He sustained a right femur fracture, where he underwent an open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) to realign the bone fracture back into its normal position. Melvin owns his own business, which is in the heart of Lillington. Although being 76, he still finds himself very involved in the daily operations of his business. While on a transport to Wilmington, NC, which is two hours away, he fell trying to get down out of his 18-wheeler. Following his surgery, he was very anxious to return home however, he decided to go to Emerald Health & Rehab post-surgery to receive rehabilitation services. Due to a longer than expected stay in the hospital, Melvin was transferred the 2-hour journey back to his hometown of Lillington. He was admitted to Emerald with a decline in his functional independence. At that time, he was only able to ambulate 10 feet with a rolling walker and required moderate assistance from staff with his walking. To transfer from his wheelchair to his bed he required max assistance and max assist times 2 with standing balance. He also endured a moderate pain level during weight bearing activities. During the month long stay at Emerald, Melvin worked with physical therapy to improve his ambulation distance from 10 feet to 150 feet on level surfaces with just stand-by assistance. His pain level went from a moderate level to mild a then able to stand without any assistance for up to 5 minutes. After discharging home, he decided to return to Emerald to continue his rehabilitation in an outpatient setting. page Melvin Yow Looking back, Melvin is glad he made the decision to go to Emerald Health & Rehab Center. He said, “This place is part of me. The service was great and I had an excellent stay at Emerald. I have told 3-4 people who have needed rehab since my stay at Emerald and they all have had a great experience too.” Melvin also went on to say, “until I came to Emerald, I didn’t know how rich I was (with friends) until I broke my leg.” Melvin continues to serve as the Bunnlevel/Summerville Fire Chief and was recently awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. This recognition is among the most prestigious awards granted by the governor of North Carolina. It is awarded for those that exemplify service to the State of North Carolina and their communities as well as those that go above and beyond the call of duty and that have made a significant impact and strengthened North Carolina. If you have a loved one or friend that is suffering from an illness or injury there is help for them and it doesn’t have to be a stressful time. There are individualized treatment plans, latest treatment modalities, as well as a goal oriented approach to restore independence so this should make the decision to seek help an easier one. 62
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