Jan Flack

Jan Flack was enjoying life in retirement. She lived independently at home with her husband, John. During her free time, Jan liked to go on walks, watch movies, quilt, and visit family.

 

Experiencing shortness of breath one day, Jan admitted to Essentia Health-Fargo, where she was diagnosed with respiratory failure complicated by pneumonia and bilateral deep vein thrombosis. As a result, Jan was placed on a ventilator.

 

After a month at Essentia, Jan transferred to Vibra Hospital of Fargo, a critical care hospital, for continued ventilator weaning and to begin receiving therapies. Jan arrived entirely dependent for mobility and self-care activities and couldn’t eat food. But Jan would make significant progress during her stay at Vibra.

 

Ventilator weaning can be a challenging process, and patients may often feel anxious about breathing independently as they have become reliant on the ventilator. Jan was no exception, but the staff and her family helped to calm Jan so she could progress in her recovery.

 

Eventually, the hard work paid off, and Jan fully weaned off the ventilator. At that point, Jan’s recovery took off. Her progress in therapy sessions accelerated, and Jan can now feed herself, dress with minimal assistance, and propel her wheelchair independently. She has even begun to stand with the assistance of two people.

 

Ready for the next phase of her recovery, Jan discharged to Sanford Inpatient Rehabilitation for additional therapies and looks forward to soon returning home to her husband.

 

“I have met so many great people at Vibra,” Jan shared before discharging from Vibra. “They were helpful, capable people who made me feel safe. I could tell people cared, and they had great humor.”