TMC PULSE

July 2020

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t m c p u l s e | j u ly 2 02 0 31 received daily updates on her dad from doctors, which she shared on social media. Because of COVID-19, she was not allowed to visit. Although Eaton was taken off the ventilator on April 4, he was still somewhat sedated for another nine days. He remembers nothing from the time he was intubated and only bits and pieces from the days when he was regaining consciousness. "At some point, I guess, I realized I was in the hospital," Eaton said. "And when I woke up, it's not like they give you a playbook as to what took place. I'm still learning about things that happened during that time." On April 13, Eaton was admit- ted to TIRR in The Woodlands. He stayed for 16 days. "I was so weak," he recalled. "My arms and legs were so much skinnier. … I knew that, physically, I had work to do, but I had zero understanding that they were also concerned about my cognition. When they started talking about speech therapy and neuropsych kinds of stuff, I was a bit defensive. … I was completely confused as to why I was looking at puzzles and doing paperwork." Early on, Eaton was asked to draw a clock and insert the correct time. Therapists also timed him moving blocks from one side of a backgammon-like box to another. He took tests that asked him to read different passages and identify words that started with certain letters. Meanwhile, occupational thera- pists focused on getting him ready to go home. "They want to know: Can you brush your teeth? Can you take a shower? Can you put your socks on?" Eaton said. * * * * * TIRR does not yet have many COVID-19 patients in rehabilitation, but the number of individuals in Texas diagnosed with the illness continues to climb. As of mid-June, more than 96,000 cases have been Gerard Francisco, M.D., is chief medical officer for TIRR Memorial Hermann and chairman and professor in the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. • Over 7,500 sq. ft. of event space • Spacious guest rooms • Bar 9 Rooftop Lounge • Breathtaking views of the city 6633 Travis Street | Houston, TX 77030 | 713-313-4000 | HoustonPlaza.Hilton.com New Hilton CleanStay Protection Rest Easy! reported across the state, along with more than 2,000 fatalities, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. "It seems like the need is going to be pretty extensive, not only in the short-term but even in the long- term," Francisco said. For instance, an early report TIRR received from medical experts in New York indicated that some patients with relatively mild COVID-19 symptoms—people who were seen in the emergency room and then sent home—ended up having strokes. ➟

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