Tammy Warner: In-Home Physical Therapy Was a Life-Changer
By Rachel Swick Mavity
Tammy Warner of Milton has had a rollercoaster of health issues over the past five years.
“I retired five years ago and then just nine days later I found out I had breast cancer,” Warner said.
After several rounds of testing, Warner decided to move forward with a double mastectomy followed by chemotherapy.
“Then 12 weeks into chemo, I had an aortic dissection. Two layers of the artery tore away, and I had to have open-heart surgery,” Warner explained.
An aortic dissection is often fatal, but the open-heart surgery team at the University of Maryland Medical Center was able to repair the damage.
“Because it was a dissection of the artery and not within my heart, I wasn’t eligible for cardiac rehab. So, there I was – bald from the chemo I did have, not able to continue chemo, so weak I could barely walk, and not many places to turn,” she said.
Her doctors suggested physical therapy, so she started going regularly, but then just two years later, a CT scan found the root of her aortic artery had an aneurysm and she had another open-heart surgery to remove it.
On top of this, she also began experiencing swelling and diagnosed herself with lymphedema due to her mastectomy. She went to physical therapy and a lymphedema clinic and after a year of hard work was nearly back to herself.
Finally, she thought she could start enjoying her retirement, so she and her husband moved full-time to their home in Milton.
Shortly after settling in, Warner started to notice swelling and a heavy feeling in her leg. She heard about Jillian Kemmerlin, an occupational therapist and lymphedema therapist with Aquacare Lewes – King Street Row.
“Jillian is a miracle worker. She was able to help me so much … I often don’t want to tell people about her because I worry that I won’t be able to get in to see her!” Warner said.
During one visit, Jillian put her hand on Warner’s chest to start therapy and immediately looked at Warner and said, “How responsive are your cardiac doctors?”
“Jillian told me something was different and to get an appointment to see my cardiac team,” Warner said. “They found a large aneurysm and I was one of only 42 people at the time to have a total endovascular arch repair with de-branching.”
Warner decided to have this procedure because it is less invasive than open-heart surgery.
“Again, I was not eligible for cardiac rehab, so I just came home,” she said. “I developed such a bad cough that my throat became swollen, and my back was so sore that I couldn’t sit in a chair or travel in a car.”
Then Warner learned about Aquacare PT PLUS, which provides physical therapy services in the home, workplace, fitness center, or community pool.
“I learned that Sharon, one of my neighbors, provided this service and I was thrilled to say the least,” Warner said.
Sharon Baxley, PTA, has over 30 years of PTA experience. She is a certified kinesiotaping practitioner, a certified health and wellness coach, and has experience working with a variety of orthopedic and women’s health conditions.
It turns out Sharon also lives in the same community as Warner.
“Sharon came over to my house and we talked about my abilities, my concerns, and she put together a plan for me. Then as we did the exercises, she was right there to modify them as needed for how I was doing that day,” Warner said. “As soon as we completed an exercise, Sharon added it into the app so I could refer to it and complete all of the exercises on my own with items from my house.”
Aquacare uses Limber, a digital tool that provides home exercises, descriptions, and videos to help patients continue physical therapy at home.
Warner said she learned so much from Sharon’s visits, including ways to improve mobility, gain strength, and when she can push herself or when to take it easy.
“Having Sharon come to my home made a huge difference,” Warner said. “She saved me the pain of having to get in a car and go into the office. And now, I am strong enough and feeling well enough to drive and continue my lymphedema appointments.”
Aquacare PT PLUS home-based physical therapy is available in Sussex County, north of the Indian River Inlet Bridge. Patients do not have to be homebound but could prefer to have in-home physical therapy due to transportation issues, illness or concern about illness, or simply for convenience.
“My attitude was always to just get back where I was and not lose function,” Warner said. “Sharon and the Aquacare team in Lewes have helped me regain my movement and enjoy my life again. I cannot say enough about them.”
Learn more about Aquacare PT PLUS or schedule an appointment by calling 443-359-0562 or go online to www.aquacarephysicaltherapy.com/pt-plus. Schedule a free consultation online: www.aquacarephysicaltherapy.com.
