‘Taking life one step at a time’ at Crichton Rehabilitation Center

For Jennifer Mikesell, recovery has been a journey measured in steps.

Some have been small. Some have been difficult.  And some – like the first time she walked into a doctor’s appointment since having her right leg amputated below the knee last October – have been milestones to celebrate.

“It’s been a really tough year,” said Jennifer, 56, of Johnstown’s West End. “There were a lot of complications, but I’m finally back on my feet – one of which is prosthetic.”

After the amputation, Jennifer spent 10 days at Conemaugh’s Crichton Rehabilitation Center, where she worked on walking, tackling stairs, endurance and strengthening exercises as she learned to navigate life with a prosthetic leg.

“I arrived at Crichton in a wheelchair. But today, I actually walked into my doctor’s appointment,” she said proudly.

One of the biggest lessons Jennifer learned at Crichton was to trust her prosthetic.

“The most important thing is trusting your new prosthetic leg,” she said. “You have to trust that your leg is going to support you no matter what.”

When she began rehabilitation, “I’d take a step. Then bring my other foot forward, stop and take another step. It didn’t look natural,” she said. “Now, thanks to rehab, I have a much better, more natural pace.”

At first, stairs terrified her.

“I was afraid and didn’t think I could do it,” Jennifer said. “But my therapists were super-encouraging and said ‘You’ll be fine. Just do it.’ And I did.

“There were times when they had more faith in me than I had in myself. And that really helped me,” she said. “They were beside me and worked me hard through every challenge.”

While rehabilitation was serious work, Jennifer mixed in plenty of laughter. She became known at Crichton for her collection of amputee-humor T-shirts.

“I faced it head on with my humor and my faith,” she said. “Both are important. I can’t do one without the other.”

The shirts became a source of amusement for staff members, including Dr. William Bergin, physical medicine and rehabilitation.

“Each morning, Doctor Bergin and the nurses – some who didn’t even work with me – would drop by to see which shirt I was wearing,” she said with a laugh.

The humor served a purpose far beyond prompting a laugh.

“This is a really heavy experience that I’ve been going through,” she said. “I lost my leg. But I’m still alive, and I still have a lot that I want to do. I could’ve sat and moped around, but that doesn’t do any good. You have to stay positive.”

Jennifer’s faith has been another constant throughout her recovery.

Over the years, she has traveled with her church group (at Faith Baptist Church in Johnstown) to Egypt, Israel, Peru and other faraway places.

She’s confident that she will travel again. And her credo is written on her prosthetic: “Pray, wait, trust. God has a plan.”

Jennifer is reluctant to single out individual Crichton therapists for praise “because the entire team played such an important role” in her rehabilitation.

Her advice to others facing a long rehabilitation journey is simple.

“Taking life one step at a time is crucial. Embrace all the little wins,” she said. “Those little wins will get you through a difficult journey.”

This month, the center is celebrating 30 years of helping patients throughout the region to regain strength, mobility and independence.

For Jennifer, the impact of Crichton is simple – but extremely powerful:

“They changed my life.”