Recovering at RiverLedge

Pictured are: Donna Bowden and April Pirie, RN.  

Ogdensburg – Just days after surgery Donna Bowden of Lisbon, NY was sure she would be back on her feet in no time. She was making great strides until four days into her recovery, she was sidelined by a pretty serious infection, an infection that landed her back in the hospital in Syracuse.

            “I was doing pretty well,” Mrs. Bowden recalled. “I was walking and progressing in physical therapy, until one day I woke up with a fever and then I found myself headed back to Syracuse.”

Mrs. Bowden ended up requiring additional surgery, leaving her in pain and a long way away from home. Her prognosis: several days of IV therapy to regain her strength and to fight the infection. “I did not want to be in the hospital in Syracuse, away from my family,” Mrs. Bowden said. “Thankfully, I was told that I could continue treatment at RiverLedge in Ogdensburg. I was so glad.”

            Mrs. Bowden was discharged from the hospital to RiverLedge Health Care and Rehabilitation Center where she would continue to receive IV therapy for several days. Once she regained strength, Bowden was able to receive physical therapy and now she is on the road to recovery. Her family and friends are able to visit frequently and Mrs. Bowden counts the days until she able to go back home.

            “Being able to provide IV therapy is a great advantage for our residents and for our short-term rehabilitative patients like Mrs. Bowden,” said April Pirie, RN. “By offering IV therapy at RiverLedge, we are helping to avoid a long hospital stay or the need to travel back and forth to the hospital for repeated treatments. In Mrs. Bowden’s case, we were also able to bring her closer to home and make it much more convenient for her family to visit her while she received treatment.”

            “I’ve never been away from home this long,” Mrs. Bowden said. “RiverLedge has become my home away from home. Everyone is so helpful and caring. I miss home, but if I can’t be there, I’d rather be here.”

            United Helpers offers IV therapy at RiverLedge Campus in Ogdensburg and Maplewood Campus in Canton. To learn more about any of the services provided by United Helpers, please visit online at www.unitedhelpers.org.