BENNETT REHABILITATION CENTER:

Patient Testimonial

When Brian Elpers vacationed in Florida just weeks ago, he didn't know his life was about to change.

"The Monday after I came back, I was coming down the steps at work," Elpers said. "My right foot would not go down. So I tried my left foot, and it wouldn't go down either."

He stumbled down the steps and didn't think much of it until later that day when a pain shot up the middle of his back, radiating down his legs. Later that night, he couldn't walk. Elpers sought treatment at Saint John's Health System. Within a week or two, doctors referred him to Bennett Rehabilitation Center, Madison County's only inpatient intensive rehab program, located in Saint John's Medical Center.

The rare, neuromuscular condition Elpers developed was Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a disorder that can develop without warning; its exact cause is unknown. The disease typically causes progressive weakness or paralysis to most of the body’s muscles, including those which control speech, swallowing and respiration.  Elpers was fortunate that his disease was limited to his lower trunk and legs.  Though Guillain-Barré has no cure, therapy can lessen its debilitating symptoms. With therapy, normal muscle function may return in a few weeks, or it might take years.

Elpers is accustomed to an active lifestyle, regularly working 12-hour days. "We own a small family business, so we pretty much do whatever we need to do to get things done," he said. "And I was physically in shape--I'd never been to the hospital in my life." Though the onset of Guillain-Barré was a shock to Elpers and his family, he is now about 75 percent back to normal, according to Bennett Rehabilitation Center therapists.

"It's pretty much a classic tale of this disease," Elpers said. "They say it takes about 3 weeks to hit its peak, then it goes back the other way. Everything started at the feet and it came up toward my torso. Now I'm starting to get feeling back in my legs and back."  Once Guillane Barré plateaus, each patient is normally involved in intensive rehabilitation lasting many weeks, months, to a year or longer.  Most patients must strengthen and learn to feel and use their muscles again, so they can learn to sit, stand, walk and perform most daily living tasks. 

Bennett Rehabilitation Center manager Jada Smith said “Guillane Barré is rare.  “Because our staff is highly trained in a variety of therapies, we are able to care for patients with rare and complicated rehabilitation issues.  We're able to see them progress and walk out of here, which thankfully, Brian was able to do. And of course Brian was very motivated to get well."

When Elpers arrived at Saint John’s, he had difficulty walking and problems feeling his legs.  His weakness continued each day until he could not sit without support or walk.  He began showing symptoms his throat muscles were being affected.  He was transferred to intensive care until his symptom progression stabilized and he was ready to begin intensive rehabilitation on Bennett.

During Elpers's two-week stay at Bennett Rehabilitation Center, he received therapy for speech and muscle strengthening, learned to sit, stand and walk and practiced doing everyday tasks.  "We went over every single thing I could possibly get into when I came home," he said. "They never made me feel like I was not doing something right, but were very energetic and positive. The staff was phenomenal, and you just couldn't ask for anything more."

By the end of Elpers's stay at Bennett, he could walk without a walker. Elpers is excited to be home and to get back to playing golf and taking walks. He feels lucky to have had Bennett Rehabilitation Center in town, so his friends and family wouldn't have to drive to Indianapolis to visit him. "People do not realize how valuable that is."

Bennett's Medical Director, Board certified physiatrist Dr. John McLimore says it's a team effort among Bennett's staff to help patients recover. "Brian was a wonderful patient to work with. If you get rehabilitation early, it's quite beneficial and translates into functional gains. In his case, it translated into a profound recovery that was shorter than one would expect." Bennett Rehabilitation Center was established in 1988 and primarily treats patients with stroke, traumatic brain injury, complex orthopedic procedures, amputations, spinal cord injuries, neurological and neuromuscular diseases (like Guillain-Barré), and other disabling conditions.

Elpers's quick recovery was perhaps in part due to the encouragement he had along the way. "I had a lot of family support, and friends. My wife would come in and eat dinner with me every night. The doctors just mapped everything out. And the staff at Bennett, they were so good to me."

Referrals or inquiries to Bennett Rehabilitation Center may be made by calling (765) 646-8368