Posted on

Heartfelt Stories – Breathing New Life: Bruce’s Journey to Independence with MCH Pulmonary Rehab

At Monadnock Community Hospital, we are proud to share our Heartfelt Stories featuring inspiring testimonials from our patients. Each story reflects the exceptional care, support, and compassion that define our commitment to our community. Join us in celebrating these remarkable journeys and the difference compassionate care can make.

Making Strides in Rehabilitative Excellence

From left to right: Essy Moverman, RRT, RCP, CTTS, Outpatient Pulmonary Coordinator; Bruce Barsalou; Dawne Beamer, Respiratory Therapist; Kiara Burek, Exercise Physiologist; Gabby Trust, Exercise Physiologist
From left to right: Essy Moverman, RRT, RCP, CTTS, Outpatient Pulmonary Coordinator; Bruce Barsalou; Dawne Beamer, Respiratory Therapist; Kiara Burek, Exercise Physiologist; Gabby Trust, Exercise Physiologist

In 2020, Bruce Barsalou knew he was in trouble. For the Deering resident, simply drawing a breath had gradually become a struggle. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), induced by decades of smoking, had landed him in the hospital more than once. It eventually led Bruce to being totally dependent on supplemental oxygen, in his late 50s. Bruce needed new lungs, but to qualify for a transplant at Massachusetts General Hospital, he needed to build stamina and lose weight. That’s what led him to the outpatient Pulmonary Fitness Program at Monadnock Community Hospital. There, our expert staff works with people like Bruce to safely expand their limits and reach their goals. “When I started the program,” he says, “I had gotten up to 280 pounds and I couldn’t walk more than 120 feet in six minutes without gasping for air.” Progress was slow at first, but Bruce says “my team kept me motivated, helping me understand what I needed to do. They told me that if I didn’t push myself, nothing was going to happen.”

He worked on the Nustep machine to increase his endurance, got a rollator walker to aid his mobility, and made changes to his diet. Eventually, he was able to walk 600 feet in six minutes and dropped 57 pounds—enough to qualify for the transplant list. “At my last test, I made it to 800 feet!” he proudly declares.

In November of 2023, he received a double lung transplant. Today, Bruce is living without oxygen and is regaining his independence. As he mends from surgery, he’s headed back to the hospital for post-surgery rehabilitation. “If you’re in the same situation as me,” he says, “definitely go to rehab, and do the work. When I first got there, I wasn’t motivated—‘How do you expect me to exercise when I can’t catch my breath?’ But they stuck with me, kept encouraging me, kept pushing me to try a little harder.” With that encouragement, Bruce is finally breathing easier about his future.

From left to right: Essy Moverman, RRT, RCP, CTTS, Outpatient Pulmonary Coordinator; Bruce Barsalou; Dawne Beamer, Respiratory Therapist; Kiara Burek, Exercise Physiologist; Gabby Trust, Exercise Physiologist

Today, Bruce is living without oxygen and is regaining his independence.

MCH Rehabilitation Services