A Positive Mindset Impacts Rehabilitation and Recovery

When we’re faced with injury and disease, it challenges our minds as well as our bodies. Research suggests that keeping a positive, growth mindset can improve quality of life and health, even in the face of a new diagnosis.

29-year-old Tyler Fisher knows just how powerful mindset can be. His faith and positive attitude have helped him through the debilitating symptoms of Crohn’s disease, recover from spine surgery and survive Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

“I believe a positive attitude can change your outcome and your path,” he says. “Throughout my journey I’ve asked myself, ‘How can I use this to strengthen my mindset and get better?’”

Acute Care Physical Therapy after Surgery

A couple of years ago, Tyler had excruciating pain in his chest and back. In May of 2024, the pain was so debilitating that he couldn’t get off the couch. His mother took him to the ProMedica Toledo Hospital Emergency and Urgent Care in Maumee, Ohio. A CT scan showed fractured vertebrae and a mass on his spine.

In just a matter of days, Tyler was at ProMedica Flower Hospital, recovering from surgery to have the mass removed. A biopsy of the mass confirmed Tyler had lymphoma.

That’s when he met Jennifer Shimborske, PT, an acute care physical therapist. “Even though Tyler had gotten this terrible news, he would start physical therapy with a smile on his face. He was just so eager to get better,” Jennifer remembers.

As an acute care physical therapist, Jennifer helps hospital patients after surgery. She and a team of physical therapists and occupational therapists assess strength, balance and mobility. They learn about each patient’s home setup and create a plan for hospital discharge.

“It was an intense situation with Tyler. He came to the hospital with back pain and then found out he had cancer. You don’t expect that at any age, but especially when you’re in your twenties,” Jennifer explains. “He was in excruciating pain and needed help with daily activities before going home. We advocated for him to go to inpatient rehab.”

Inpatient Therapy at Eidi Family Rehabilitation Center

Tyler transferred to ProMedica Eidi Family Rehabilitation Center. Then, it was within the Flower Hospital building. Now, it’s in a separate facility on the hospital campus. The new location offers a more comfortable setting for patients and their families. Every patient has their own room and there are beautiful outdoor spaces and common areas with natural light.

Patients stay at Eidi Family Rehabilitation Center, receiving physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT) and speech therapy. Patients receive three hours of therapy, five days a week. They learn how to get in and out of bed, use stairs, shower, cook and other daily activities they’ll need to do at home.

Amber Biniker, PT, DPT, says, “The beauty of this setting is being able to show patients what they can do. They may think they won’t be able to get out of bed or move again. We show them how to move around their home safely and perform activities of daily living.”

The care team at Eidi Family Rehabilitation Center builds a patient’s treatment plan around their illness or injury, home setup and health goals.

“Everyone on the physical therapy side was phenomenal. They encouraged me physically and mentally,” Tyler says. “I felt prepared and ready to go home.”

“Tyler stood out from the very first day; he was open to try anything we recommended to get better,” Amber remembers. “He trusted us from the beginning and was able to progress quickly to a level where he was safe to move around the room by himself.”

Staying Positive through Rehab and Healing

It’s difficult to keep a positive mindset when you’re faced with health challenges. Keeping an eye on your future goals and focusing on small steps can help with feelings of overwhelm.

“We have a psychological component to our job,” explains Jennifer. “For those that don’t have a positive mindset, that’s where our job really comes in. We become motivators. We help patients understand that not being active in treatment is not in their best interest and how it will affect their outcome.”

Patient education is an important part of encouraging patients to be positive and active. PTs and OTs use videos, handouts and even a mobile app to help patients stay on track with their exercises.

“I also instruct my patients to get on a schedule every day. An itinerary can help break down the day into easy steps. From how to sit in your chair for breakfast to when to take medications to when and how to do exercises, it helps to have a plan,” says Jennifer.

For Tyler, it was his 10-year reunion that pushed him through acute and inpatient physical therapy. After the reunion, he looked forward to getting back to his career in university athletics.

Tyler Today

Today, Tyler is doing well. He’s back at his job at The University of Toledo Department of Athletics and feeling better than ever. During his fourth round of chemotherapy last year, he learned the cancer was in remission and he was cancer-free.

He visited the staff at Eidi Family Rehabilitation Center to share the good news. He talked with Amber and Jennifer, and took a tour of the center’s new location.

“It was great to see all of the new things that patients can take advantage of as they prepare for ‘normalcy’ once they are able to go back home,” Tyler shares. “The care team at Flower was one of the most impactful teams that has helped me during my long health journey, and I can’t thank them enough.”

Tyler’s care team is unsure of the exact cause of his cancer and fractured vertebrae. But there’s a chance it may have been related to a medication he took for Crohn’s disease. An increased risk of lymphoma is a rare side effect of the medication he took for about ten years. In high school, his Crohn’s disease was painful and debilitating. He had surgery to remove more than a foot of affected intestine and began medicated infusions.

Still, Tyler is content with the path that led him to where he is today.

“I don’t want to diminish anyone else’s experiences of going through cancer; it’s one of the worst things possible. But for me, I’ve always been of the mindset to think positive,” he says. “I try to take on things without fear of failure or worrying about the little things. My faith has helped me stay positive.”

“I’m feeling great now; this is the best I’ve ever felt!” Tyler adds. “My family and friends were so important throughout my whole process. And everyone throughout ProMedica who was part of my journey, as well as my faith, helped with my positivity.”