Pain had become a part of daily life for the Tri-Corner area’s voice Marshall Miles. “I have had what doctors call over-pronated ankles since I was a child,” he says. “So I have dealt with pain in that area of my body for most of my life.” Over-pronation is commonly defined as a prolonged flattening of the arches in the foot and an inward tilting of the ankles. Over time, it is this stress in a foot with little to no arch support that causes pain in the knees, ankles, feet and even back.
For Marshall, one of the most beloved voices in the region and who plays President and resident DJ at Robin Hood Radio in Sharon, Connecticut, the pain eventually became unbearable. “When it became imperative that I undergo surgery, both my ankles and feet essentially needed to be readjusted,” he recalls. “Doctors had identified 24 small broken bones in my right foot and my big toe needed to be reattached with some metal work. All told, I was laid up for eight weeks at home with nursing care and required a cast for another eight months after my first surgery.”
It has been six years since that first difficult operation, two of which Marshall spent in a wheelchair, and surprisingly, Marshall recalls his experience with mostly gratitude — namely for one reason. “Had I been smarter, I would have gone straight to Noble Horizons after my first surgery,” he recounts. “The rehab I received there after my second surgery was incredible.”
It is perhaps one of the worst-kept secrets that Noble Horizons, and its rehabilitation program at Wagner Terrace, has become the foremost destination when seeking to bridge the critical transition between hospital and home post surgery. With 24-hour nursing care and daily therapy sessions, Noble’s rehabilitation team has helped numerous short-term residential rehabilitation patients to regain strength, balance and flexibility. “There were a lot of things I had to re-learn after my second surgery,” Marshall recalls. “I spent ten days rehabbing at Noble Horizons and in that time, I basically re-learned how to walk again.”
During his second surgery, this time on his left foot, Marshall endured an operation that would require his ligaments to be replaced with cadaver parts. “I had never been a huge believer in that kind of rehab before my second surgery,” he says. “But, in that short, intensive time, the professionals at Noble Horizons basically restored my confidence in going home and functioning normally, and my rehab time was probably cut in half because of it.”
Perhaps even more than his recovery, though he is eternally grateful for a new life without pain, Marshall’s experience with Noble’s communal and personal support is what he will remember most of all. “When the staff at Noble came home with me and worked closely with SVNA to make sure all of my needs were met, I realized how much a part of the community they actually are,” he says. “They fought to make sure I was insured and took a real personal interest in my recovery. From the physical therapists to the CNAs, everyone was outstanding.”
