Pictured, left to right, are: Jeremy Wilson, occupational therapist assistant; Mike Ogle; and Shelbie Gerard, physical therapist assistant.
Cleveland resident and retired Methodist minister Mike Ogle tied the knot on June 16, but it wasn’t an easy journey that got him to this point.
Mr. Ogle, whose wife of 52 years, Judy, passed away in August, developed a diabetic ulcer on his heel and collapsed at his home. In October, he had to have his right leg amputated.
After the surgery, he came to Life Care Center of Cleveland for rehabilitation. When he arrived, he couldn’t do much. He had an infection and was malnourished, in addition to his new mobility challenges and an ulcer that had formed on his left heel.
Physical and occupational therapists began to work with Mr.
Ogle to recover his strength and prepare him for his prosthetic leg. Shelbie Gerard, physical therapist assistant, treated his ulcer with ultrasound therapy, and the wound interventions enabled him to not lose his other leg.
“These people worked with me and worked with me and worked with me,” Mr. Ogle said about rehabilitation. “They worked all the different muscle groups, and I’ve done leg exercises out the wazoo.”
Meanwhile, as Mr. Ogle did daily leg lifts, core exercises, upper-body strengthening and retraining on his activities of daily life, he corresponded with Joyce Sheraton in Texas. He had met her at a vacation Bible school when he was 12, the same day he met Judy. Ms. Sheraton had lost her husband a few years prior, and the two of them found they had a lot in common.
Ms. Sheraton visited Mr. Ogle this spring, and he asked her to marry him. She said yes.
Of course, there was a lot to do to get ready, and when Mr. Ogle got his prosthetic leg in late May, he was able to progress to learning how to walk again with the help of a cane.
“They told me that with all the hard work I’d been putting in, I would be ready when I got my leg,” said Mr. Ogle. “I was ready.”
On June 10, Mr. Ogle returned home with the support of his two sons in town. Best of all, he was ready to marry Ms. Sheraton.
For more information about rehab at Life Care Center of Cleveland, call 423-476-3254.