Kristopher Ogle

Before the accident, Kristopher Ogle was an avid golfer, hiker, and camper. He loved the outdoors and worked full-time at the water company. His job was strenuous, running heavy machinery and doing a lot of work with his hands. At home, Kristopher lived with his wife and dogs.

Then, on Easter weekend, Kristopher was involved in a severe car accident. Ejected from the car, Kristopher sustained multiple injuries, including a brain injury, a torn diaphragm, a lacerated liver, and a right hip injury. He also suffered many fractures, including two neck fractures, two back fractures, a fractured sternum, six rib fractures, a shattered pelvis, fractures to his knee, ankle, and foot, and “a few other small fractures of toes, teeth, etc.”

Kristopher spent weeks in the hospital just to stabilize. While there, he was made aware of Bloomington Regional Rehabilitation Hospital, the only acute rehab hospital in south-central Indiana. “I just knew I wanted to get out of the hospital and on the road to recovery,” Kristopher recalled.

“I am so glad I ended up here.”

At BRRH, Kristopher began putting in the work to regain his independence. “I am goal-oriented and driven,” he shared. “I wanted to get back to my life. I’ve always been active, and I didn’t want my life to change.”

Kristopher would have to draw on this motivation because therapy proved to be more of a challenge than he anticipated. “I thought it was going to be easy once I got to rehab. Boy, was I wrong. It was hard!”

That hard work paid off, and Kristopher made significant progress in his recovery at BRRH.

“When I got here, I couldn’t even move my leg,” Kristopher said. Now I have almost full movement, and I am discharging a week early. Without my therapists, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today. My PT, Maribeth, and my OT, Claire, have helped me get to this point today.”

Kristopher continued, “Everyone here has been amazing. All of my nurses, the techs, the therapists, the housekeeper, and the dietary staff. The food has been great. I really have to give credit to everyone, especially Maribeth and Claire.”

With his rehab stay completed, Kristopher is glad he put in the work. “No matter how hard it was, I wanted to give 100% every day in therapy, and that’s what I did. I wanted to have some form of my old life back. Every year, we take a hiking trip in Colorado, and I am hopeful to be able to do that this year, too.”

Kristopher is most excited to get back to his wife, Heather. “She has been here every step of the way,” he said with a smile. “She visits me daily, and she’s stepped up and is getting trained to help me. My mother and mother-in-law are all stepping up to help when I go home. And I cannot thank them all enough.”

“I am also looking forward to seeing my dogs. I got a new puppy just before the accident, and I cannot wait to get home to see the puppy.”

“In the end, I cannot thank Bloomington Regional Rehabilitation Hospital enough. The crew here is phenomenal, and I cannot wait to come back in when I visit.”