Melanie's Story
Spinal cord injury
Melanie Lynn “Mel” Phelps, 44, a mother and Texas rancher, experienced a life-altering event when an ATV accident initially left her paralyzed from the neck down.
She was driving her ATV across her ranch when the vehicle overturned, leaving her severely injured. “I was driving very slowly on a hill and the tire got stuck in gravel, tipping the ATV sideways,” Mel recalled. The accident left her with cervical (neck) injuries and a broken right leg. Mel was rushed to Taxoma Medical Center and later airlifted to Medical City Plano for advanced care.
There, Mel underwent multiple surgeries and spent two weeks in an induced coma, required a feeding tube and tracheostomy tube to breathe. Medications kept her stable, but she began to experience hallucinations and delusions. “I thought I was in a medical experiment and wanted my mother to call the police to get me out,” she said. After three weeks, Mel stabilized and was referred to Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation, a decision influenced by the facility's reputation for spinal cord injury rehabilitation.
Upon admission, Mel's primary goal was to walk again. “If I could walk, I could take care of my family and do other things like gardening and helping at school,” she said. Her rehabilitation began by reducing the medications that clouded her mind, allowing her to regain clarity and energy for the therapy work ahead.
Mel's rehabilitation included physical, occupational, speech and recreational therapies. “There was a lot of focus on getting my body to move,” she said. “We practiced a lot of getting in and out of bed, using a power wheelchair and anything I was able to do.”
Occupational therapy included essential tasks like eating and brushing her teeth. Mel was not able to grasp utensils or grooming supplies, her therapist trialed adaptive equipment to help her be independent in her morning routine. In therapy sessions, she worked with specialized equipment such as SEABO mobile arm support, and EXCITE electrical simulation device to help improve function in her arms. Occupational therapy and nursing collaborated to ensure that she was able to practice feeding herself every day with staff present to ensure safety.
During her stay at BSWIR - Dallas, Mel also took a spinal cord injury (SCI) education class that provided her with essential knowledge about her injury and resources for future support.
In physical therapy, Mel worked on mat skills to strengthen her muscles and improve her mobility. “The work on postural control and moving in bed paid off in a faster progression to walking,” she said. A stationary bike RT300, which uses electrical stimulation to activate muscles, was another key piece of equipment therapists had her use to help stimulate her leg muscles. Aquatic therapy provided further functional improvement, allowing her to move her entire body and more specifically increasing her arm and leg movement.
Speech therapy was crucial to help Mel relearn how to swallow. She was not eating by mouth at the time of admission. “Because of the [feeding] tube, my body had forgotten how to eat,” she explained. Speech therapists taught her how to swallow and eat regular food using the McNeill Dysphagia Therapy Program, a swallow therapy program for adults, to help her regain control of her swallowing muscles. Recalling the experience, Mel stated, “I had to take small sips of liquid to make sure it was going down the correct pipe, then I started trialing different types of foods with different consistencies and small bites of food.” In less than two weeks, she was able to eat regular food, drink thin liquids and take medications orally.
Recreational therapy boosted Mel’s confidence in handling community settings. Recreational therapy services at BSWIR - Dallas works closely with patients to explore options for topics like accessible transportation, building accessibility considerations, how to plan a family vacation and resources for community leisure activities. Mel praised the team for their collaborative efforts in extending her therapy beyond the hospital in various activities like a shopping mall outing with therapists that prepared Mel for life outside the hospital.
Mel's journey was filled with "ah-ha" moments that marked her progress. “Standing up for the first time gave me hope that I was going to walk again,” she recalled. Another milestone was sitting up from a lying position without help. “It reassured me that the hard work was paying off.”
Throughout her rehabilitation, Mel's family provided encouragement. Her husband Troy and their son were her biggest cheerleaders. “My hospital room walls are filled with my mom’s paintings with encouraging quotes,” she noted. Her husband participated in training to assist her at home, ensuring a smooth transition.
As she prepared to leave BSWIR - Dallas, Mel looked forward to being with her family and volunteering at her son’s school. She described her time at Baylor Scott & White as exactly what she needed: “It was grueling at times, fun at times. The therapists were supportive, the nursing staff was super caring and compassionate. They treated me like they would want to be treated if they were in the same situation.”
Mel’s message to others facing similar challenges, “Work as hard as you can, because the work you put in is what you will get out of this experience. Just be patient with yourself and with those who are here working for you and with you.”
