By, Allison R. Weder
Four months before Rob McCarrell was planning to walk down the aisle and marry the love of his life, an accident left him with a broken tibia. Rob remembers that day. “We were at a job site, and I tried to move some drywall, and it fell on me and pinned my left leg to the ground. I just thought, it’s probably just bruised or something. I didn’t think it was really that bad.” But after Rob got home that night, his fiancé, Stephanie, saw he was limping and agreed with Rob’s employer that he should go to the Emergency Room. That is where he learned he had broken the tip of his tibia, near his ankle, and would need to see an orthopedic surgeon. The surgeon delivered more unwelcome news. She told Rob he would need surgery to pin the bone back together.
Rob had surgery several weeks after the accident and would spend a few more weeks recovering without putting weight on his leg. “Luckily, Stephanie had her grandma’s walker, and I would use that for hopping around. I mean, that’s all I could do was hop on my right foot for the longest time. I would just sit on the couch for most of the day. Finally, I was like, all right, I want to be doing something.” Luckily, Rob’s surgeon ordered physical therapy, so he could begin to get back to living life the way he wanted and get ready for his wedding.
Stephanie is a Patient Care Coordinator at Phoenix Physical Therapy in Mt. Pleasant. So, Rob knew right where to go. Rob met with Melissa Wilkins, PT, MPT for his first appointment. Melissa learned about Rob’s injury and created a unique recovery plan for him. His therapy sessions began slowly. “They stretched out my leg and I needed to pick up marbles with my toes. I did different foot exercises to get started.” Rob was excited to finally get moving. “It was good to be moving around after sitting for so long.”
Soon, Rob’s sessions intensified with the focus shifting to his balance. “I did some wall sits. I used the BAPS board.” A BAPS board can be used for non-weight bearing, partial weight-bearing and full weight bearing exercises for people with ankle and foot injuries. From balance to strength, Rob began pushing himself as well. “I was on a machine, and I thought I could do more. I thought I could push myself a little bit. Then, I was pushing a bench and whenever I was pulling it back I could feel it in the back of my legs. I felt a change. I didn’t feel as weak. When I first had the surgery, I was winded a lot. I would get up the stairs and I was out of breath. After a while I built my endurance, and I could walk longer without feeling winded.”
Rob continued his hard work as the wedding crept closer. “I really wanted to be able to do everything for the wedding. I wanted to be able to walk down the aisle. I wanted to dance. It was touch and go for a while. At (Stephanie’s) bridal shower, I came in with my walker and we were wondering if I’d have to have a bedazzled walker for the wedding.” But Rob’s hard work with the Phoenix PT – Mt. Pleasant team paid off. He was able to walk and dance at his wedding! He was even able to complete two weeks of work hardening and conditioning with Melissa and Clinic Director, Kristy Meier, PT, DPT. Many Phoenix PT clinics offer Workers’ Compensation and Employer Solutions. The program aims to get people back to work by focusing on job-specific exercises and movements. Rob needed to get back to lifting drywall. “They would put so much weight in the box and at first it was ten pounds and then they would increase the weight. I could just feel I was getting stronger. Like I was ready to go back to doing drywall. There was a balance beam that I put on my shoulder, and I carried it, like I would have whenever I was carrying drywall.” Melissa was impressed with Rob’s determination to get better. “It’s unfortunate when anyone gets hurt at work. Accidents happen. But for Rob, he had big plans! Not only did he want to get back to work, but he was getting married and needed to be able to walk his new bride down the aisle and dance at their reception. Rob worked hard both in the office and at home getting his motion and strength back and he was able to meet his goals!”
Rob was back at work at the end of August. Rob and Stephanie’s wedding was on September 14th. “It was a very exciting day, but I was also nervous. I did cry when I saw (Stephanie). She was so beautiful. Her dress was beautiful, and she had a tiara on. It was special because I wasn’t sure if I would be walking down the aisle and back up the aisle unassisted. And we danced. I even spun her a couple of times. I think everyone was kind of impressed that I was able to spin her.”
Rob is grateful for the Phoenix PT – Mt Pleasant team and happy he chose physical therapy to help with his recovery. “They just wanted to help me, and they were very, very welcoming, and very supportive. I feel like if I hadn’t gone to physical therapy and I just got the surgery, I probably would not be where I am today. It was a lot of relearning how to walk and that can be frustrating. But I also knew I needed to do these things to get better.”