ORRVILLE, Ohio (August 3, 2012) – After going through 15 years of multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatment to fight colon cancer, Burl Greathouse ran into serious complications. The periods of radiation treatment had badly damaged his lower bowel. Nine days and three surgeries later at Aultman Hospital in Canton, Greathouse and his family did not hold out much hope. Luckily, with the advanced care at Aultman, he made it successfully through the surgeries but had a long road ahead of him to make a full recovery. He was admitted to the Acute Care Specialty Hospital at Aultman, which provides long-term care for patients with medically complex conditions, and stayed several weeks before being discharged.

His next step was to begin skilled nursing care at a transitional care unit. His wife Barb Greathouse and their two daughters had a decision to make. They were residents of Wayne County, so the family chose for Greathouse to come to Aultman Orrville Hospital. Aultman Orrville could provide both a skilled nursing care followed by physical therapy and rehab services.

“It was all available here at home,” said Barb Greathouse.

When Greathouse arrived at Aultman Orrville, he was unable to walk, raise his hand to eat or dress himself. “I could barely walk two steps to the bathroom,” he stated.

Nursing him back to health took a team effort. The Nutritional services team worked with Greathouse to provide his preference in the nutrients he needed to build his strength. Physical therapists worked with him on standing and walking. Occupational therapists taught him how to dress and bathe again. Aultman Orrville even provided a stoma nurse, who educates patients on how to live and take care of themselves with a colostomy.

When commenting on the services provided, Greathouse’s daughter Kim Masters said, “Aultman Orrville will make it happen if you need the care.”

Not long thereafter, Greathouse was walking outside with nurses and therapists. Aultman Orrville staff even allowed his family to take him home for a few hours at a time.

“This not only lifted my dad’s spirits, it also was meeting his goal of recovery,” Masters stated.

Once out of the skilled nursing unit, Greathouse began outpatient physical therapy three days a week at Aultman Orrville. Greathouse mentioned that the therapists took him up staircases and practiced getting in and out of a car. After six weeks in outpatient rehab, Greathouse was back to nearly full strength.

With the help of skilled nursing and rehab services, Greathouse went from not being able to feed himself to being at home and independent again. Now he is back to his active lifestyle of gardening, painting and building birdhouses.

“I couldn’t have asked for better treatment,” Greathouse said. “When I was at Aultman Orrville, I never worried about anything.”