San Antonio, TX — Cynthia Rios, a teacher, wife, and mother of three, noticed a rash on her body had begun to spread. Over a few days, her muscles began to tighten and soon enough, she was not able to move her legs or swallow. Her primary doctor immediately sent her to Methodist Hospital | Metropolitan where she was diagnosed with dermatomyositis. A rare, autoimmune disease, similar to Lupus, dermatomyositis presents a rash and attacks the muscles, causing them to weaken.
“The clock was running and I told her that her muscles were getting destroyed, which meant she would be permanently disabled, so we needed to act fast,” said Dr. Brian Winn, Rheumatologist at Methodist Hospital | Metropolitan.
As soon as Dr. Winn noticed her difficulty swallowing which impacted her ability to breathe normally, the hospital team began aggressively treating her life-threatening disease. They started infusion treatments, similar to chemotherapy, causing her hair to fall out. Shortly after she recovered some strength, Rios was admitted into Methodist Hospital | Metropolitan’s Rehab Services to begin therapy for three hours a day.
“I couldn’t move, sit, or even get out of bed by myself,” said Rios. “I lost around 36 pounds throughout all of this. My muscles were in so much pain, but Dr. Winn said I would be able to walk in a few months with the right amount of therapy.”
Rios stated she had not gotten out of bed for 20 consecutive days.
Rios knew this would be a fight for her life, but with the support of her family, she pushed through to start building her muscles again. With the help of the Methodist Hospital | Metropolitan rehab team, she began practicing normal day activities such as getting into a car, standing, eating regular food to swallow, and putting on shoes and clothes. Soon enough, she achieved her biggest accomplishment – taking her first step.
“After the physical therapist took me off the bars, I was able to stand for a whole three minutes,” said Rios. “As I started to reach for her, she told me to try and take a step. I surprisingly did it and just kept going. We were so amazed that we both just started crying.”
Rios shared that after seeing her initial lab results and feeling immense pain, she felt hopeless and wasn’t sure she was going to make it, but the hospital staff wouldn’t let her give up.
“Everyone here has been absolutely amazing,” shared Rios. “They took great care of me and never let me give up. They knew my limits, but also what I was capable of despite all the pain. All of sudden I went from walking five feet, to ten feet, to 250 feet.”
After 62 days, Rios’ “Independence Day” came and she was officially released from the hospital. The staff and leadership team from Methodist Hospital | Metropolitan lined the halls and showed their support as she walked back into the life she once had. Her husband, Juan Pablo Rios, also sang to the staff a song he wrote about his wife’s journey in recovery called “We Will Never Be the Same.”
“When we landed here at the Rehab Center, I told my wife ‘I don’t just want a survivor moment, I want this to be a story of hope and care.’ The Methodist Hospital | Metropolitan staff has done nothing but show compassion and care to us and it’s what the world needs more of. We love that the mission of this hospital includes honoring God and that’s exactly what you guys have done. I wrote this song because all of you have made our life better and from this experience, we will never be the same,” said Rios.
Rios and her family credit the hospital staff for all their help toward getting her life back.
“This all made me realize how many little things I take for granted. I’m so thankful for everything and everyone that helped me get where I am today,” Rios commented.