Richard's Story

Richard “Rich” Vojtush, 57, a former factory worker from Twinsburg, Ohio, enjoyed watching sports and spending time with family and his dog.

After feeling unwell for several days, Rich became concerned when he began to have a difficult time breathing and communicating. He called his parents, who live nearby; they immediately knew that Rich was in bad shape and rushed him to the closest emergency room. There, testing showed that Rich not only had COVID pneumonia, but also was in respiratory failure. He also was suffering from encephalopathy, a group of conditions that cause brain dysfunction and often lead to confusion, memory loss, personality changes and difficulty communicating.

Rich’s condition was so serious that he was transferred to Cleveland Clinic Main Campus, where he was intubated, or when a tube is inserted through a person's mouth or nose, then down into their trachea (airway/windpipe) so that air can get through via a machine that delivers oxygen. Rich also underwent a tracheostomy, which is a surgical procedure that creates an opening in the neck to facilitate breathing. He also needed to have a feeding tube placed to provide him with nourishment while his body healed.

During his hospital stay, Rich developed an infection as well as a deep vein thrombosis, a condition that occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein deep within the body, which caused him to have to stay in the hospital longer than expected. Once he was medically stabilized – but unable to speak, eat, communicate or walk – Rich was moved to Regency Hospital Cleveland East, a critical illness recovery hospital.

At Regency Hospital, where he began to work with speech therapy on communication and transitioning to a regular diet while physical therapy guided him on how to safely get in and out of bed and walk short distances. At the same time, respiratory therapists helped Rich transition from using his tracheostomy to breathing room air. During his month at Regency Hospital, Rich made solid progress; he was able to walk 15 feet with a walker and could go up four steps while holding onto the railings. He was also mostly independent for his personal care, including bathing.

To build upon his progress, Rich transferred to Cleveland Clinic Rehabilitation Hospital, Beachwood to begin an intensive inpatient rehabilitation program. Rich’s goals upon admission were to improve his balance, endurance and walking. His ultimate goal was to be able to go up the 20 steps required to enter his apartment while carrying objects, such as groceries. Rich’s physician-led care team worked with him to develop a care plan that would help him increase his independence and help him return home safely.

Physical therapists worked with Rich on walking increasing increasingly longer distances, first using his walker and then a cane before transitioning to walking without a device. To rebuild the leg strength he had lost during his long hospitalization, Rich’s sessions included weight training and interval training. He also spent a lot of time practicing going up and down steps in order to increase his balance and endurance. “Physical therapy really kicked my butt,” Rich said. “I got a great workout every day.” Rich recalls that they key milestones in his rehabilitation occurred when his balance had improved enough so he could practice walking, go to the bathroom independently in his room and complete a full 20 steps using one railing.

In occupational therapy, Rich worked on strengthening his upper body and working on high-level activities of daily living, which includes tasks such as grocery shopping, managing finances and meal preparation. They also focused on improving Rich’s overall cognition by having him practice tasks with multiple steps, memory tools and using a journal to keep track of progress. “Occupational therapy was very creative about everything,” Rich stated. “I didn’t even realize I was working on balance, endurance and thinking with activities like simulated grocery shopping and meal planning.”

Nursing helped keep Rich said that his nurses helped keep his spirits up and kept him motivated. When Rich experienced a flare up of gout, a common type of inflammatory arthritis, in his ankle and foot, they worked to manage his pain so that he could continue with his therapy. “Their spirit and kindness kept me going,” Rich said. The dietician also provided education to help Rich make healthy lifestyle changes to help him reach his weight and fitness goals.

Rich credited his family with helping in his recovery, providing support and frequent visits. Initially, when Rich couldn’t speak, they advocated for him to get as much therapy as possible because they wanted him to regain his high level of independence. “My family helped me big time,” Rich recalled. “My parents where there all along the way, through everything that happened to me.”

Rich made excellent progress during his eight days at Cleveland Clinic Rehabilitation Hospital, Beachwood. He was able to walk over 500 feet without a device and could walk up 40 steps using one railing for support. He was also independent with all of his personal care tasks and no longer required supplemental oxygen. “Everything was great. The staff really ‘paved the way’ for me to be successful,” Rich said. “My whole team was very motivating and helped me work hard.” The tasks he performed in therapy were challenging enough that he felt like he was consistently making progress and regaining function.

Upon his return home, Rich was looking forward to seeing his dog, visiting with family and continuing to exercise to improve his endurance and overall health. He also planned to start living healthier by managing his diet with the information he gained for his stay at the rehabilitation hospital. Rich learned that you have to work hard and want to put in all the work. “You have to have your heart in it,” he said. “You have to keep pushing.”