Mary Cech 2014
Mary Cech is an active farmer’s wife who wasn’t afraid of climbing in a tractor and helping her husband. On October 1, 2013, Mary and her husband, Lumir, decided to take a drive east of West Point; little did they know the road they were about to take was going to be a bumpy one. A semi-truck blew through the intersection Mary & Lumir were traveling on, resulting in multiple shattered bones, broken ribs, cut tendons, and smashed legs. Mary’s legs were smashed from the dashboard of the vehicle and she was immediately taken to the Medical Center in Omaha. “They had to put pins and plates in my ankle, two plates in my right knee and had to graph the bone on my knee as well. I didn’t know if I would ever walk again.” She stayed in Omaha for a week and then came to St. Francis Memorial Hospital for a swingbed stay from October 9th-24th and received Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy. Mary was unable to bear weight for 4 months. At the end of October, Mary returned to Omaha to her trauma surgeon where he removed 70 staples from her right leg alone. “I was glad I got to see my surgeon but even more relieved when I could return back to West Point. My care here was just wonderful!” Mary had a long road ahead of her, but her goal of walking again kept her motivated. “I wanted to see progress faster; when I could finally ride that exercise bike I could start seeing the progress because I fought with that thing!” she returned home with Home Health for two months. Once she was strong enough, she participated in outpatient Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy until May 2014. “I knew it was going to be a long haul and it’s not going to happen overnight. I had my family and friends behind me with their positive reminders that, ‘It’s going to get better.’” Mary continued pushing herself to have the best opportunity to return to doing the things she loved. “When they told me to do 50 repetitions, I did 75. It just takes time.” Mary continues to come to the Wellness Center 2-3 times a week to exercise. “I really do about everything I did before, I just have to take my time and do a little every day.”
