When Hillsboro retiree Ron P. set out to paint the exterior of his Texas vacation house, he never expected that his home improvement project would land him in the hospital.
“I fell off a ladder of about 14 feet onto a cement driveway,” explains Ron.
After an emergency ambulance ride to a nearby hospital, Ron and his family learned that he had endured a troubling trifecta of injuries–broken bones in his leg, a crushed heel and a fractured ankle.
Ron’s out-of-state surgeon placed a rod in his injured leg, which allowed him to return home to Hillsboro, though he had to wait a long four months in a wheelchair before the hardware could be taken out.
A photo of Ron at rehabilitation with Hillsboro Medical Center physical therapist Kim Lierman after his accident.
Once the rod was removed, Ron was referred to Hillsboro Medical Center Rehabilitation Services.
He began treatment with physical therapist Kim Lierman, who specializes in the rehabilitation of extremity injuries.
“We worked on it, and we worked on it,” recalls Ron of his rehabilitation experience. “She [Kim] got me through it.”
Eventually, the hard work paid off and Ron was able to get back on his feet in just a few months.
Though Ron successfully completed his rehabilitation, a few years later he could tell something wasn’t right.
Last summer, he went to see fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Lara C. Atwater at Hillsboro Medical Center Orthopedic Clinic. She explained that Ron’s ankle was offset due to the incorrect placement of the rod in Ron’s leg after his accident in Texas.
Ron’s rehabilitation included the use of an anti-gravity treadmill to help him walk again.
After discussing his treatment options with Dr. Atwater, Ron chose to proceed with ankle fusion surgery and heel surgery.
“They [his care team] were very serious, went right down the checklist, and everything was done right,” says Ron of his outpatient surgery experience at Hillsboro Medical Center.
He was grateful to be reunited once again with his former Hillsboro Medical Center physical therapist Kim Lierman.
Slowly, they were able to restore the functional use of Ron’s ankle and then improve his balance. Eventually, Kim had Ron train with an anti-gravity treadmill to help him transition back to walking.
“She got me through it again,” says Ron. “I’m now golfing on a regular basis, and I walk three to four miles with the dog.”
Ron has also been able to join a fishing club and is happy to be back to tending the 90 fruit trees on his property.
“His journey took time, but he has had a very successful outcome,” notes Kim Lierman, Ron’s physical therapist throughout his recovery journey.
“I like good service and good results,” reflects Ron about his care experience at Hillsboro Medical Center. “People cared.”
