Daryl McCombs lives an active life, spending time in his garden, walking in his neighborhood, substitute teaching and driving a school bus. On June 7, 2023, Daryl had a spinal fusion, but that did not slow him down. Just three days later, Daryl spent nearly two hours mowing his lawn with a push mower. After he completed his gardening tasks and visited with friends and family that evening, Daryl reported having a “funny feeling.” The feeling had gotten worse the next morning.
Daryl went to Portneuf Medical Center (PMC) to be evaluated. It was determined that he required a quadruple bypass surgery. Unfortunately, he sustained a stroke during the surgery. He was held in the intensive care unit for close monitoring. Within a few days, he was able to transfer out of the ICU and was recommended to the inpatient rehab at PMC to regain strength before going home.
On July 18, Daryl transferred to the inpatient rehab unit where he worked with physical, occupational and speech therapies over the course of three weeks.
“The therapists have great capability,” said Daryl. “The entire staff noticed my improvements, no matter how small. And was especially helpful to me because I’ve definitely felt discouraged at times.”
By the last day of treatment, Daryl was able to walk 500 feet with a cane, climb a flight of stairs and use adaptive tools to promote his independence with dressing.
“I’m better prepared to go home because of being in rehab,” said Daryl. “And for anyone in my situation, I would highly recommend the rehab unit. Have faith and don’t give up!”