By Anna Horner | News & Views

For Derrick Taylor, the fourth time’s the charm. Most people can’t say they’ve been denied by pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programs three times, but the 51-year-old Californian explains that he’s “medically challenged and genetically rare.” Derrick’s no stranger to the health care system, having been diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of four, forced to quit working after a car accident at the age of 26, and currently undergoing extensive genetic testing in hopes of finding answers to his decades-long health battles.

“We still haven’t received a confirmed diagnosis yet, but I’m currently under medical treatment for various symptoms,” he says. “I wear leg braces and use a walker, and a power chair for long distances. I stay on a ventilator because of my breathing; I can breathe in fine, but I can’t get my CO2 levels up. My speech is also affected.”

Derrick’s 24/7 home ventilator was the reason he was denied entry into a PR program three times, as most have not worked with people on ventilators outside of the hospital setting. “I was outside wearing a ventilator. I was moving around; I was not stuck in a hospital bed. I’m able to get out and do things,” he explains.

But Derrick persisted and was accepted into Enloe Health’s PR program due to an asthma diagnosis and, despite the challenges associated with wearing a ventilator, he successfully completed the 8-week program at the end of last year. It’s an achievement whose significance is not lost on him; and while Derrick credits much of his success to the PR team and his classmates at Enloe Health, his positive attitude through all the medical challenges he has faced went a long way toward meeting his goal and continuing his progress over the long term.

A letter from Derrick to his PR team reads, “How can I say thank you to a team of people who I feel went above and beyond, not only to calm my fears and anxiety but also to show me proper exercise and breathing techniques and ways to keep it slow and steady? Even on life support machines, you showed me there was a way to breathe slowly when you're in panic mode trying to get air.”

He says he was apprehensive at the start of the program but was willing to try. “I can honestly tell you after day one, something clicked … I just knew that with the support and encouragement of the pulmonary team and my classmates, and with God’s help, I was going to complete this course,” Derrick continues. “As these classes took place, and as the weeks passed, I had a new way of thinking and a new outlook on exercise, even on life support machines.”

Derrick emphasizes that he felt no judgment walking into the clinic wearing a life support machine out in public and that the encouragement from his PR team and classmates gave him the extra push he needed to complete the program. “I totally understand why I was denied PR so many times; based on my medical records, I looked like a medical train wreck. I prefer the term ‘medically challenged and genetically rare,’ and the tests prove it,” he adds. “I will be honest, I felt relieved that the doctor was next door and the ambulance was in the parking lot.”

Even before PR, Derrick wasn’t deterred or defined by his medical conditions. “I stay active and busy,” he says. He volunteers at the Tehama County Gleaners for their monthly food giveaway and is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, and he credits the support of his fellow volunteers and those in the PR program for giving him the confidence to continue making progress. He has a recumbent bike for use at home to continue exercising, noting, “I don't want to say that I completed pulmonary rehab and then lose everything that I gained from it. I don't want to regress; I want to progress.”

For Derrick, the benefits of PR outweigh all the difficulties he faced in getting accepted into a program. He encourages those who might be hesitant about PR to just give it a try. “You will be amazed at what you can accomplish when you put your feet forward and take that first step. Go in with an open mind and a positive attitude and make the experience an enjoyable one. Learn the techniques and apply them in your daily routine, and you will see improvement,” he advises. “Yes, I understand a PR patient on a ventilator is rare and that each one of us with breathing problems is different, but open yourself to learning and trying. Before you know it, you’ll be like me, having completed something I never thought I would.”

Derrick also urges others with breathing machines to embrace life regardless of its challenges. “Don't be afraid of the machine. If you can get out and do something, do it. Don't be afraid of what other people think of you either. Let them stare. You're out enjoying life. And if people have questions, let them ask, because they're curious,” he notes. He acknowledges that everyone has bad days and negative thoughts, but you can’t let them win. “I’m still breathing,” Derrick says. “Yes, it’s on a machine. But I’m still breathing.”

Photo credits: Ed Booth/Enloe Health