OGDENSBURG
– Ron Schofell and Jim Weirich both came to United
Helpers unsure of whether they would ever be able to walk again, but after
several months of therapy both men are back on their feet with very different
tales to tell.
Mr. Schofell came to United Helpers following the
amputation of his right leg, while Mr. Weirich was injured in a motorcycle
accident when a truck pulled out in front of him.
“I broke both my ankles and my wrist,” Mr. Weirich
said. “When I got here I was pretty much unable to do anything.”
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Mr. Weirich with Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
Becky McCormick.
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Following his surgery Mr. Schofell said he was in
the hospital for 49 days, actually coming to RiverLedge Health Care and
Rehabilitation Center in Ogdensburg before even receiving his prosthetic leg.
Mr. Weirich, who rehabbed at Maplewood Health Care
and Rehabilitation Center in Canton, came to Maplewood following a week in the
hospital that saw him undergo three different surgeries.
Mr. Schofell said he went into therapy knowing he
was going to have to work hard, but looking forward to the challenge.
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| PTA Bailey Stickney with Ron Schofell |
“You can’t have a defeatist attitude and you have
to set goals. I told the therapy staff my goals and they helped me get there,
pretty quick actually,” he said. “I was afraid I would never be able to walk
again and do the things I wanted to do.”
Mr. Weirich, on the other hand, said when he first
arrived at Maplewood his outlook on life wasn’t as peachy.
“I was not in a good place when I got here. Mentally
you start our trying to tell yourself that some day things will be back to
normal, but I wanted that some day to be now and that’s what upset me the
most,” he said. “The emotional and mental therapy was just as worthwhile and
really picked me up.”
When he was initially asked what his goals were Mr.
Weirich said he was having a hard time thinking long term and was frustrated
because he literally couldn’t do anything for himself.
“I told them I just wanted to be able to go to the
commode by myself,” he said, adding he was prepared to “check his dignity at
the door.”
“It wasn’t really like that though,” he said.
“Every person who dealt with me and helped me did it in a manner that made you
feel like it was normal. The CNAs, the nurses and everyone really helped me get
over those feelings.”
And that’s something that Mr. Schofell said he
would like to do, adding he’s thinking seriously about volunteering at area
medical facilities to share his story with others and let them know that such
an injury isn’t the end.
“I met a kid at lunch the other day who had prosthesis
and he was buzzing around like nothing,” he said. “I know I’m not as young as
he was, but it made me think if I kept working I could do that too.”
Mr. Schofell, who was discharged last month, said he
was still considering whether or not to continue with outpatient therapy,
although he said that was something he would likely do once he received his
permanent prosthesis.
Mr. Weirich spent the two months following his
accident doing inpatient therapy, and has continued with outpatient therapy. He
said he’s looking forward to this summer and returning to the activities that
he loves to do, although he did miss a winter on the slopes.
“It was a good winter to not be able to ski,” he
said, adding he’s looking most forward to hiking and kayaking again. “I’m sure
I’ll be able to do most everything I did before. It was a horrible experience,
but also a great experience. If you ever have to go through something like that
this is the place to be.”
Mr. Schofell said the thing he enjoyed most about
his therapy, is the fact that it was something different almost every day.
“They have you do a little bit of everything which
is nice,” he said.
For further information on United Helpers Therapy
Services, contact our Maplewood Campus in Canton at (315) 386- 4541 or our
RiverLedge Campus in Ogdensburg at (315) 393-0730.
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