When Chris Coley speaks, the gratitude pours out of him. After being sidelined by a serious bacterial leg infection last year, Coley spent five weeks rehabilitating at RML Specialty Hospital in Chicago.
“I had swelling, pain, and discoloration. Three days later I was in Metro Hospital’s ER,” said Coley. “I’d never been hospitalized before, so I was scared. I was told I could lose my leg if the infection worsened.” Treatment consisted of antibiotics, painkillers, and surgical skin grafts, and he got through it successfully. Then he faced five weeks of wound recovery care at RML Specialty Hospital.
“I weighed 350 pounds at Metro,” said Coley. “I’d been hiding under excess weight and big clothes. I dreaded mirrors and being photographed. RML told me losing weight would help my leg recover. If I didn’t, I could have major complications down the road.”
Coley felt an instant connection with his RML representative. “I trusted her, and it became the tone for everything,” he explained. “They were very encouraging. RML went from strangers to staff to friends to family. While I cried a little going in, mainly out of fear, I cried openly when I left, because they’d become my family.”
“I’ve met angels, and they work at RML. My nurses, therapists, and other caretakers talked with me about comics and other fun things to distract me from the pain. They put me on the Paleo diet, and I weighed 275 when I left. I hadn’t weighed under 300 pounds since the seventh grade,” he added.
Coley didn’t want to let RML down during his recovery at home, so he continued to lose weight, and now weighs a svelte 175. “I’m more sociable, and I have a new job working with people,” he said. “I enjoy seeing others and being seen. RML saved my life in more ways than one. I have two birthdays: December 25th and the day I left RML.”
Written by Denise Freese
Link to original article can be found here.
