Goals reached by Wayne Hean.
- Danced at his son’s wedding with his significant other, Debbie. Check.
- Walk…And return to having an impact regarding his 25-acre family farm in Davenport, Iowa. Check.
- Taking his four-runner for another spin around the farm like he did recently and was not supposed to. If those who hid the keys ever tell him where they are. Check.
And… Let us not forget.
- Surviving a fall on January 16, 2024, causing colon bleeding, vertebrae, and rib injuries, then a Feb. 27, 2024, heart attack and subsequent emergency angioplasty surgery, and transport from a Davenport, Iowa-based medical facility to the University of Iowa Hospitals.
- Beating the long-odds-against-him-colon surgery on March 28, 2024, to fix a critical blood-loss situation (18 ½ units of blood lost) and removal of his colon; a 58-day hospital stay in Iowa City (Iowa), more infection-related time in and out of the hospital locally, time in an acute rehabilitation facility, and another stent-related heart procedure.
Whew…Check.
On July 4, 2024, Hean, farmer, retired diesel mechanic, former Davenport alderman, could not rise from his wheelchair and stand for any length of time. He was – at the time – learning to brush his teeth, how to eat and to wash his hair, simple tasks that were – for 60-plus years – easy.
Forever-upbeat, Hean had just been released from an acute rehabilitation facility after enduring the aforementioned five months of health-related drama.
Today, Hean, one of life’s profoundly good souls, can walk – in most places – without the use of a cane. He can shower, eat by himself – though he jokes food still finds his shirt – and recently mowed – with a push mower– a 40-by-60-feet section of the back yard of his Rolling View Farm. Truth-be-told – and to his credit – he started the mower twice during that adventure.
“You should be happy and proud of where you are,’’ Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s Spencer Schlarmann, PT, DPT, said to Hean, who had just shown Schlarmann, an orthopedic resident with Rock Valley, a fence-line issue he – with the help of friends – fixed the weekend prior. The effort and photos met with approval from Schlarmann.
For just over two months, Hean and Schlarmann, a gifted therapist and patient advocate, have been constant physical therapy companions. But where Hean was – and where he is today thanks to Schlarmann – is miles beyond that July day three months past.
“I walked a hillside without my cane, and I walked 90 feet five or six times working the fence area we cleaned up,” said Hean, a truly engaging sort, who can carry on a conversation with anyone. “I am learning to adjust, to do things differently than I used to, but I am doing some things I never thought I would do again. I owe him (Schlarmann) and Debbie. They have been great to me.’’
Keenly aware of the time when others believed he was not long for this earth, Hean, who at 65 remains filled with vim and vigor, found himself wheelchair-bound, watching someone else cut his grass, wanting desperately to put his farm back together and replace the nine months he lost.
“I’m the guy who is supposed to be opening the door for people, not them opening it for me,” he said. “I could soup-up your car, I could run a farm, look after the properties we had, toss a 50-pound bag of (chicken) feed over my shoulder like it was nothing, but then I could not do anything. That is not how it was supposed to be.’’
For Schlarmann, a standout prep football player at Dyersville (Iowa), Beckman Catholic, who played football for three years at St. Ambrose University, Hean is proof comebacks are possible.
As soon as Hean made his way to Rock Valley – and after an evaluation – Schlarmann worked tirelessly to get him to stand for a period, then, through strength training, worked the walking side of Hean. The goals were to learn to stand, then walk, and eventually – by the end of August – have Hean dance at his son James’ Wedding.
“That (dancing at his son’s wedding) was a huge goal, and we focused on that,” said the upbeat Schlarmann. “A lot of strength work and a lot of time dedicated to standing. We took a global approach regarding strengthening areas that would benefit Wayne. Lots of circuit work and working functionality. Standing and walking. It has been about goals for Wayne and helping him achieve those goals.’’
It was a monumental day when Hean and Debbie danced in honor of James and Nicole, Hean’s son and new daughter-in-law.
“Made it through one and one-half songs,” Hean said. “Pretty good from where I came from.’’
With Schlarmann’s help and commitment to get better, Hean has continued to make great strides on the physical end.
“What we do together is vital for Wayne,” Schlarmann said. “But what Wayne does outside the clinic is also important. He does what is asked of him when he is away, and his strength and his endurance continue to progress. Wayne is great to be around, but also does an excellent job of what I ask of him at home. He is truly motivated.’’
Schlarmann’s upbeat nature is infectious, Hean says.
“It’s all positive and that’s huge,” Hean said. “I can share the good and the bad – and he has heard the bad – but he is positive in everything we do. He has made such a significant difference and helped me with the goals I have. There is still work to be done, but we have worked well together.’’
Ahead, Hean wants to return to managing all phases of his farm, tending to his hay field, the livestock, and find a way to get back on that quad runner he no longer has target keys to. He wants to walk the farm void of the cane he has been using, be able to carry objects up to 30 pounds and to work standing up for periods longer than 10-to-15 minutes.
“My weight is up and I’m feeling better,’’ said Hean, who served as a medic in the United States Air Force. “I am in a hurry because I feel like I lost so much time. Truth is, I’m happy to be doing what I am doing, where I am doing it and who I am doing it with.’’
Goals for now… Check.
By: Johnny Marx, Rock Valley Physical Therapy Storyteller