Covid 19 recovery of Chris was remarkable
Chris Brooks contracted Covid and nearly died. However, using a Lemco Bed Bike assisted him in getting back on his feet and living an independent life. The Bed Bike was delivered directly to the hospital in Texas by Lemco Mobility.
Susan Brooks’ account of what happened when her son, Chris Brooks, contracted Covid and nearly died is below. She wrote to Lemco Mobility to express her gratitude for the usage of the Bed Bike, which played a significant role in Chris’s extraordinary recovery:
"My son, Chris, contracted Covid about Oct 8, 2021.
He was 44 years old and very healthy. He worked out daily and ate a good diet. He was unvaccinated because he believed if he did get Covid, it would be no big deal for him.
He never dreamed he would get so close to death.
18 days after his symptoms started he was put into a coma and put on a ventilator.
5 days later he was put on ECMO and stayed in ICU on ECMO for 50 days. I was amazed at how quickly his muscles atrophied.
Physical therapist was impressedÂ
In a panic I started to search for something that could stop the damage I was watching happen. I found the Lemco Bed Bike and ran the idea through the physical therapist for ICU. She was impressed and thought it would help.
At the time the bike arrived Chris was unable to move any of his body except for his fingers. Working him out on the bike was delayed because of complications from Covid that required lung surgery as well as blood pressure and oxygen issues.
Dec 17. Two days after they removed the cannulas used for the ECMO machine, we were able to finally start him on the bed bike. We strapped his feet onto the peddles with Velcro and we moved the bike by hand. We continued to do this daily.
On Dec 22, Chris was able to use the bike on his own, for half a turn. For us and for him that was a huge accomplishment!
He rode for two minutes on his own
Dec 23, he was able to rotate the peddles on his own for 3 turns. On Dec 25 he rode the bike for two minutes on his own.
By January 5 2022, he was up to 5 minutes.
January 7, 7 minutes.
January 9, 10 minutes.
By January 14 he was using the bike for 20 minutes. All of this was while he was still fighting extreme fatigue, blood pressure and oxygen issues with 3 chest tubes. He then started to change the settings to be more difficult as he challenged himself.
Stood up for the first time
On January 18, Chris stood up for the first time since October 21, 2021.
By January 20, Chris was using the bike on the most difficult setting and he stood up for 2 minutes. He found that peddling backward help strengthen different muscles that would help him stand.
On January 25 he was able to walk about 10 steps with a walker.
By February 6 he was walking in circles around the hospital floor with a walker.
He was released from the hospital on February 18, 2022. Within a few days he was able to walk without his walker.
He started working out at the gym everyday. He no longer needed upplemental oxygen after two weeks.
At about 4 weeks after leaving the hospital he had gained back 6.8 kg, of the 22.5 kg he had lost while in the hospital.
Improved quickly because of BedBike
I cannot imagine he would have improved so quickly if he didn’t have the Bed Bike to help him get moving again. This bike was an amazing bike as it locked onto his ICU bed and the peddle motion was so smooth.
It had a digital readout that helped Chris know how he was progressing. The company that makes the Bed Bike has amazing customer service and was so helpful and empathetic to my plight.
BedBike gave him strength and stamina
I really don’t think Chris could have been walking as soon as he did, without the bike, or have the strength and stamina to return to the gym and independent life as quickly. In those early recovery days the bike gave him confidence and some control over his recovery.Â
His recovery is going well now, although, we expect it to be several more months before he is physically where he was before he caught Covid, if that is even possible.Â
He was able to start back to work as a boat salesman May 4, 2022. He can pick up and play with his two children now. He has continued to improve at a steady pace. I truly believe so much of his progress was due to the early intervention with the bike.”
Susan Brooks, Texas, USA
Spinal Cord Injury – Motor versus Active
Active exercise provides more significant physical and mental advantages, preventing obesity, muscle atrophy, and cardiovascular disease while improving independence, and self-esteem.
