MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Fairmont native and Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton continues what her family calls a “daily” battle against a rare form of pneumonia and Mon Health System Emergency Medicine Director Dr. Chris Edwards says recovery is a long process.
“In this situation, all you can do is maximize treatment and say a little prayer that everything works out,” Edwards told WAJR Radio. “But there is a long road for the family.”
Edwards said Retton’s medical team likely performed a bronchoscopy, a technique used to examine the airways and take tissue samples. Testing the samples gives doctors the best clues as to which treatment is best for the patient.
“You can actually do antibiotic sensitivity with that, so you can test which specific antibiotics work against which specific organism,” Edwards said.
Retton is on the mend. One of her daughters reported on Saturday that she had made remarkable progress in recent days.
“Mom’s progress is amazing,” her daughters McKenna Kelley and Shayla Kelley Schrepfer wrote in Instagram posts. “Prayers are heard and answered.
“Although he remains in the ICU, his road to recovery continues to improve. His fighting spirit really shines. His breathing is getting stronger, and his dependence on machines is decreasing.” Her daughters added, “She is responding very well to treatments.”
Last year at this time, reports of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza were coming in early. The wave of infections that followed returned medical providers to pandemic times when hospitals were full and staff were pushed to the limit.
“We’re really starting to see it early. We had it last year where we had a lot of influenza and RSV uptick in late October through November,” Edwards said. “At that point, the hospitals were full, and the children’s hospitals were full.”
Repeating personal hygiene practices such as hand washing, covering coughs, and staying home if you are sick are important this time of year. Edwards says getting the flu or pneumonia vaccine is something your primary care doctor should talk to, especially for people with serious health conditions.
“Chronic conditions like COPD, emphysema, or asthma — people who have things like that, I think talking to their doctor about getting the pneumonia vaccine is a good idea,” Edwards said. .
Last year the hospital’s overcrowding resulted in delays in some care due to a lack of available space, and staffing changes were necessary to keep up with the demand for care.
“Children’s hospitals across the state are filled with patients, and they’re working their tails off to serve our state, but it’s very challenging,” according to Edwards.
