A living miracle
Published: August 7, 2005
Warren Flatt doesn’t remember much about the days before he became a miracle.
About four months of his life are a blur.
Flatt remembers experiencing several falls, but what followed he knows only from being told. He had to be hospitalized in mid-December, developed double pneumonia and later was moved to Oakridge Rehab and Specialty Care Center in Richmond.
“I was supposed to die,” he said.
Instead, Flatt rebounded. In early May, Flatt moved into his own apartment at The Leland Residence and on July 22, the retired computer programmer celebrated his 66th birthday.
“He’s our miracle,” said registered nurse Shelli Vickers, who is Oakridge’s director of nursing.
Flatt recently returned to Oakridge to visit his former caregivers and friends.
“They were all very supportive and very friendly and helped me walk, which I’m eternally grateful for,” Flatt said.
Vickie Cortner, Oakridge’s customer relations representative, evaluated Flatt for admission when he was in Reid Hospital last December.
“No way did I think Warren was coming in for rehab,” Cortner said. “He was at death’s door.”
“I proved you wrong,” Flatt answered.
“We love when that happens,” Cortner said.
Struggling to recover
Flatt was a residential patient at Oakridge from Dec. 31 to May 12, with five trips to the hospital in Richmond and Indianapolis.
At his Oakridge admission, he was somewhat oriented, but his condition deteriorated rapidly, Vickers said.
He became lethargic and non-responsive. He was bed-bound.
During early attempts at physical therapy, Flatt’s body was so rigid, it took two therapists about 45 minutes to work his body through range-of-motion exercises.
“There were times we didn’t see the rehab potential,” said physical therapist Gwyn Gumalo.
In early March, because Flatt was unable to eat, he received a gastrotomy tube to provide nutrition. But the efforts seemed in vain.
“There was one point where we called the family in because we thought he would pass,” Vickers said. “I went into his room and his color was very poor. He was non-responsive. We couldn’t get him to wake up. He couldn’t eat or drink. His vital signs were poor. From a physician’s standpoint, too, nobody thought he would pull through.”
In contrast, during his recent visit, Flatt sat up straight in a chair — neat as a pin in an oxford shirt and slacks.
“They’re telling me things I don’t remember,” Flatt said. “Maybe it’s just as well I don’t.”
It was around March 16, his confusion began to clear.
“He slowly woke up and started coming around,” Vickers said.
One day, Flatt shocked occupational therapist Patty French when she walked into his room.
“He said, ‘I want to sit up,’” French said.
He started with sitting up and just kept going, with only a few setbacks.
Eventually, Flatt wanted to eat, but because he had trouble swallowing, he had to take a test to prove he could do it.
“It took a long time until he could eat safely,” Vickers said.
On April 1, he was able to feed himself and eat his first meal. Eventually, the g-tube through which he was nourished was removed. “That was a good feeling,” Flatt said.
He lost 50 pounds during his illness and has regained about 20.
Another point in his recovery was when he wanted to become mobile. He brought up the topic during an evaluation meeting.
“I said, ‘I want to learn how to walk.’ I was pretty blunt about it,” Flatt said.
“He knew he could do it,” Vickers said.
“I felt it here,” Flatt said, touching his chest.
“His attitude’s always been so positive,” Vickers said, turning to Flatt: “You’re definitely an inspiration to all of us.”
“I remember I wanted to walk without a walker. It was a big deal,” Flatt said.
“It was a big fight,” French said.
“But you were triumphant,” Gumalo said.
Walking into the future
Flatt said that the illness that laid him low remains a mystery in light of his recovery. Doctors tested him with negative results for Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as ALS, multiple sclerosis and even Mad Cow Disease. Another diagnosis was Parkinson’s Disease plus a neurological disorder. However, Flatt said his doctor recently told him that diagnosis might no longer hold true because if that were the case, he should be getting worse, not better.
“I doubt if I’ll ever know why,” Flatt said.
“As long as you’re doing OK…” Gumalo said.
“Who cares what it was,” Flatt finished.
He is continuing his physical therapy three times a week at Reid Hospital, trying to regain the strength he once had. Before taking ill, Flatt loved to walk two miles or more each day at the Earlham College track.
“I’ve been walking downtown,” Flatt said. “The other day, I walked eight blocks.”
“Do you have any idea how amazing that is?” Vickers asked. “It makes it worthwhile because it’s a hard job.”
“It’s nice to see them come back in the door,” French said.
“They look different,” Gumalo said.
Gumalo’s statement was echoed in the amazement of several staff members and residents who passed by the physical therapy room during Flatt’s visit.
“My goodness,” resident Jean Ward greeted Flatt, rolling into the room in her motorized wheelchair. She was thrilled to learn that Flatt has improved so much that he walked eight blocks.
“That’s fantastic,” Ward said.
“I saw him when he first came in here and I thought we had something in common and he just kept getting better and better,” Ward said.
“They thought I had Lou Gehrig’s disease,” Flatt commented.
“Well, that’s what we talked about. I still have it,” Ward said good-naturedly. “If you can walk eight blocks, you do it for me, too.”
“I say a prayer of thanksgiving every day,” Flatt answered.
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