Karla Anderson, Girard, has learned to appreciate the little things, like being able to feed herself and use the bathroom without help.
She credits Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center Rehabilitation, as well as the love and support of family, for literally putting her back on her feet.
“They wouldn’t give up on me,” Anderson said. “They wanted to rebuild me. One of them told me that I was a physical therapist’s dream because none of me worked.”
She had never been sick a day in her life before being diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer some years back, while living in Portland, Ore., and wonders if the chemotherapy she received might have been a factor in the autoimmune hepatitis she later developed. Whatever the cause, the hepatitis progressed into cirrhosis and, on April 23, Anderson went into acute liver failure.
“I had been at the University of Kansas Medical Center for an evaluation for a liver transplant,” she said. “I called my daughter to come and get me. She was only 20 minutes away, but by the time she got there I was in a coma.”
The coma lasted from June 17 to July 5.
“My daughter took photos of me in a coma, and I counted six IV lines they had in me,” Anderson said. “She lost count at eight units of blood they gave me. I don’t remember any of it.”
She suffered from MRSA (an infection highly resistant to most antibiotics), encephalitis, neuropathy and myopathy (muscle death). “I still have a dead spot in my thigh, and it won’t come back,” Anderson said.
On July 15 she was transferred by ambulance from the KU Medical Center to Mt. Carmel.
“Five people from physical therapy tried to stand me up and make me take a step,” she said. “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t lift a spoon or hold my head up when I got here. I could barely feel my feet.”
She began getting inpatient therapy, around 4 1/2 hours of it a day.
“I’d get three hours of physical therapy and an hour and a half of occupational therapy,” Anderson said.
She and her “Team Anderson,” as she dubbed her therapists, worked hard.
“I remember a lot of tears shed,” said Barb Murphy, PTA.
But Anderson made progress.
“Within a week I was able to hold a special spoon they use for stroke patients,” she said. “The first time I fed myself, I wore half of it on my shirt, but I did it. I had to suck my Jell-O out of the bowl — I couldn’t hold it on the spoon because I had the shakes.”
Gradually Anderson got back on her feet with the help of a walker.
“On Aug. 23 I left Mt. Carmel,” she said. “They gave me a quad cane, a bedside commode and a walker. On Sept. 12 I got rid of the walker and went to the cane. Toward the end of October I was able to get rid of the cane. That was a liberating experience.”
She continued to receive outpatient physical therapy until Oct. 31, then joined the Mt. Carmel Wellness Club and works out there three times a week.
“I’ve got my dad and step-mom, Ralph and Patsy Rogers, coming here, and I’m working on my aunt to come in, too,” Anderson said. “I want to make this a family affair.”
She still has serious health problems, visits the KU Medical Center at least once a month and is on a diet that restricts the sodium, fluids and protein she can consume.
“I’m not well, but I’m stable, and that’s a great thing,” Anderson said. “I’m on the list for a liver transplant, but I’ve also be diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, and they want to remove the bad parts of my colon before I have the transplant.”
Then, perhaps, she could start to get healthy again.
“It would be nice if I could get back to work,” she said. “I was a mortgage underwriter in Portland, at a firm that decided to buy up sub-prime loans.”
She has strong motivation to go on with her life, including son Micheal Williams, and daughters Cesillia Anderson, Portland, and Annaliese Anderson, Girard, along with the five grandchildren she has and others she hopes to have in the future.
“I truly believe God doesn’t take you until you’ve done what you’re here to do,” Anderson said. “Annaliese is 15, and I have to get her through college. I want to be here to spoil her children.”
She’s got one more reason to hang on.
“I’m too mean to die,” Anderson said. “One of my physical therapists said she would testify to that in court.”
Actually, they’re very fond of her, and very proud.
“We love her so,” said Diane King, COTA/L.
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Karla Anderson, Girard, has learned to appreciate the little things, like being able to feed herself and use the bathroom without help.
She credits Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center Rehabilitation, as well as the love and support of family, for literally putting her back on her feet.
“They wouldn’t give up on me,” Anderson said. “They wanted to rebuild me. One of them told me that I was a physical therapist’s dream because none of me worked.”
She had never been sick a day in her life before being diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer some years back, while living in Portland, Ore., and wonders if the chemotherapy she received might have been a factor in the autoimmune hepatitis she later developed. Whatever the cause, the hepatitis progressed into cirrhosis and, on April 23, Anderson went into acute liver failure.
“I had been at the University of Kansas Medical Center for an evaluation for a liver transplant,” she said. “I called my daughter to come and get me. She was only 20 minutes away, but by the time she got there I was in a coma.”
The coma lasted from June 17 to July 5.
“My daughter took photos of me in a coma, and I counted six IV lines they had in me,” Anderson said. “She lost count at eight units of blood they gave me. I don’t remember any of it.”
She suffered from MRSA (an infection highly resistant to most antibiotics), encephalitis, neuropathy and myopathy (muscle death). “I still have a dead spot in my thigh, and it won’t come back,” Anderson said.
On July 15 she was transferred by ambulance from the KU Medical Center to Mt. Carmel.
“Five people from physical therapy tried to stand me up and make me take a step,” she said. “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t lift a spoon or hold my head up when I got here. I could barely feel my feet.”
She began getting inpatient therapy, around 4 1/2 hours of it a day.
“I’d get three hours of physical therapy and an hour and a half of occupational therapy,” Anderson said.
She and her “Team Anderson,” as she dubbed her therapists, worked hard.
“I remember a lot of tears shed,” said Barb Murphy, PTA.
But Anderson made progress.
“Within a week I was able to hold a special spoon they use for stroke patients,” she said. “The first time I fed myself, I wore half of it on my shirt, but I did it. I had to suck my Jell-O out of the bowl — I couldn’t hold it on the spoon because I had the shakes.”
Gradually Anderson got back on her feet with the help of a walker.
“On Aug. 23 I left Mt. Carmel,” she said. “They gave me a quad cane, a bedside commode and a walker. On Sept. 12 I got rid of the walker and went to the cane. Toward the end of October I was able to get rid of the cane. That was a liberating experience.”
She continued to receive outpatient physical therapy until Oct. 31, then joined the Mt. Carmel Wellness Club and works out there three times a week.
“I’ve got my dad and step-mom, Ralph and Patsy Rogers, coming here, and I’m working on my aunt to come in, too,” Anderson said. “I want to make this a family affair.”
She still has serious health problems, visits the KU Medical Center at least once a month and is on a diet that restricts the sodium, fluids and protein she can consume.
“I’m not well, but I’m stable, and that’s a great thing,” Anderson said. “I’m on the list for a liver transplant, but I’ve also be diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, and they want to remove the bad parts of my colon before I have the transplant.”
Then, perhaps, she could start to get healthy again.
“It would be nice if I could get back to work,” she said. “I was a mortgage underwriter in Portland, at a firm that decided to buy up sub-prime loans.”
She has strong motivation to go on with her life, including son Micheal Williams, and daughters Cesillia Anderson, Portland, and Annaliese Anderson, Girard, along with the five grandchildren she has and others she hopes to have in the future.
“I truly believe God doesn’t take you until you’ve done what you’re here to do,” Anderson said. “Annaliese is 15, and I have to get her through college. I want to be here to spoil her children.”
She’s got one more reason to hang on.
“I’m too mean to die,” Anderson said. “One of my physical therapists said she would testify to that in court.”
Actually, they’re very fond of her, and very proud.
“We love her so,” said Diane King, COTA/L.
