Healing Beyond Expectations

Tiffany's Story

Tiffany, a mother of three from Waynesfield, had a difficult recovery with the birth of her second child. With gestational diabetes and chronic hypertension playing a role in her pregnancies, she spent two weeks in the hospital and faced a slow, painful return to mobility before she began to feel like herself again.

“I couldn't even get to my son,” Tiffany recalls the painful moments after birth. “I couldn't even get down the hallway or anything.” By the time she was prepping for the birth of her third child, Tiffany was hopeful for a different experience. She and her husband had planned to have their birth at Lima Memorial Health System via C-section and were recommended to participate in the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program.

ERAS is a coordinated, evidence-based approach designed to help prepare the body for surgery and support faster, safer recovery. For Tiffany, that meant pre-surgery nutrition drinks, breathing exercises, education about what to expect and a clear recovery plan she could follow step by step.

After delivery, she was surprised by how quickly her body responded. It was night and day compared to her previous experience.

“I remember the nurses told me, ‘Your pain block wore off eight hours ago,’ and I honestly couldn’t believe how well I was doing.”

Being able to recover more quickly allowed Tiffany to be present for her newborn son. From seeing him right away to taking him to doctor’s appointments and being there for those early moments, that time was critical for Tiffany and her family, and her recovery helped make it possible.

For Tiffany, the support extended far beyond the program itself. The encouragement and compassion from her care team at Lima Memorial helped make a difficult season feel manageable and filled with hope. “I just want you to know, as a whole, absolutely everything was phenomenal. I can’t rave enough.”

To learn more about Lima Memorial’s ERAS program, call 419-998-4690.