Elderly Woman Nearly Back to Normal a Year After Contracting West Nile Virus

Nearly a year after contracting the West Nile virus, 85-year-old Dolores Klein is almost back to her old self.

"Her recovery was absolutely miraculous, fantastic. Better than even I expected," said Dr. John Sturgeon, the medical director at Ethicus Hospital in Grapevine.

Visiting from Minnesota to see her grandchildren, Klein was 84 when she was bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus last July in Colleyville.

"I thought, 'What is going on?'" said Klein, "I see three lamps, and I looked around the room and there was three of everything".

Klein spent two weeks in intensive care at Baylor Grapevine then another six weeks at Ethicus, a long term acute care hospital.

Her family thought she might die.
               
"She was critically ill, on a machine to breath for her, requiring a tube to feed her" said Sturgeon. "Her recovery is nothing short of miraculous."

Klein still has a few minor issues and is still waiting for doctors to say it's OK to return home to Minnesota. But after thinking she would never walk again, Klein, who used to run up to five miles per day, can walk, talk and feed herself.

"The most important thing, I think, is that she was very healthy prior to her contracting the West Nile virus," said Sturgeon. "No significant medical history, she was active, she took care of herself."

"She's taught us, exercise, eat right, take care of yourself, and if you ever have something, you'll be prepared for it," said Klein's daughter, Marietta.

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