Vim & Vigor - Spring 2014 - North Mississippi - (Page 49)

Physical therapist Lee Ann Holt (left) and occupational therapist Amy Moody (right) are helping Pam Petty (center) regain her independence after an incomplete spinal injury. One Day at a Time Recovering from a car accident is no easy feat, but one local woman is determined to overcome her injury P am Petty of Bruce is learning to be thankful for the little imperfections in life. "It may not be as perfect as I used to do it," she says, "but I still do it." Leaning on her family and friends comes hard to someone like Petty who is used to doing everything for herself. She knows that she will eventually get there again, but in the meantime, she does her best and asks for help when she needs it. That she can do so much for herself already is nothing short of miraculous. Petty, a registered nurse, was headed to work in Oxford in August 2013 when she lost control of her vehicle. "I was less than a mile from my house when it happened," she says of the accident that caused an incomplete spinal cord injury. "At first, I couldn't move my legs or arms," she says. An ambulance transported her to North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, where she underwent neck surgery. Therapists began working with her in the Critical Care Unit. "By then I could move both arms and my left leg some, but not my right," she says. "I couldn't do anything with my hands. They worked with me to be able to sit up on the side of the bed." After a week in CCU, Petty transferred to NMMC's Rehabilitation Institute, where she had intensive therapy for several hours every day. "The spinal cord connects our brain to our body," explains Brian Condit, MD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician who serves as medical director of the Rehabilitation Institute. "After a spinal cord injury, the patient has to learn certain skills that previously the body has done automatically. I tell patients, 'Never give up hope and be cautiously optimistic. Focus on learning the skills we teach you as they will serve you well in the future.' " When Petty arrived at the Rehabilitation Institute, she was in a wheelchair and couldn't feed herself. She strengthened SPRI NG 2014 49

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2014 - North Mississippi

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2014 - North Mississippi
Contents
Opening Thoughts
Cardiac Caretakers
Mending Hearts
Occupational Hazards
The New Rules of Play
Shopping for Two
Back to Basics
Burn, Baby, Burn
Angelina Jolie
Rock Your Health
Breaking Up with Salt
Disgusting! (or Not?)
Virtual Health
One Day at a Time
The Doctor Will See You Now
Catch the Spirit

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2014 - North Mississippi

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