This past summer, as Jane Owens of Wapenger Falls, NY prepared for her much anticipated trip to Belgium, the thought of ending up in Vermont, as a patient at Woodridge Rehabilitation and Nursing, was about as far from her thoughts as ending up on the moon. Jane was traveling to Belgium in order to spend three weeks with her daughter Cynthia, who lives there with her husband and their young son, Ian.
About half way through her visit, Jane spent a morning with her daughter and grandson admiring an art exhibit on display at a beautiful 19th century cathedral, which was set back from an old cobblestone plaza. When they emerged back into the bright sunshine to look for a bite to eat, one misstep changed everything for Jane. “I simply caught my toe while stepping up onto a cobblestone sidewalk,” recalled Jane. “I went down on my knee and then broke my hip. It was that quick.”
Instead of sightseeing and spending time with her grandson, Jane was admitted to Saint Vincent’s Hospital in Antwerp where on August 26th she underwent surgery on her hip. While the surgery was successful, Jane had to wait it out until she was deemed strong enough to fly back home. In the meantime, arrangements were made for her to rehabilitate as an inpatient at Woodridge so that she could be close to her son Stephen, who lives in Calais.
After one too many cheese sandwiches, a staple Belgian meal, Jane was elated to finally get the go ahead to fly to Vermont on September 15th. “I left Brussels at 4 a.m., escorted by a wonderful nurse from New York City, Mark Mitchell, who specializes in transporting patients,” said Jane. “I got delayed in JFK for four hours and finally arrived at Woodridge at just a little past midnight.”
Relieved to be back in the states, Jane settled into life at Woodridge, where she received intensive rehabilitation therapy two times a day over a three week period. “When I arrived here at Woodridge I was completely helpless,” said Jane, who is now able to get around with the aid of a walker. “I don’t think I could have come to a better place or have received better care anywhere else.”
While a layover at Woodridge was definitely not on Jane’s original itinerary, she nonetheless enjoyed her stay. “Even though this wasn’t a vacation, my time at Woodridge has been very nice. The people here were absolutely wonderful—I haven’t met a single person that wasn’t nice—and the food here was great.” After enduring a steady diet of cheese sandwiches though, Jane was easy to please.
Despite her successful stay at Woodridge, home is still one more step away for Jane, who will receive in home physical therapy at her son’s house before she is ready to return to her independent life in New York.