Mon Health professional weighs in on Mary Lou Retton treatment, urges residents to get their flu shots

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Fairmont native and Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton continues what her family calls a “day-to-day” battle against a rare form of pneumonia and Mon Health System Emergency Medicine Director Dr. Chris Edwards says recovery will be a long process.

Dr. Chris Edwards

“In this circumstance, really all you can do is max out treatment and say a little prayer that everything works out,” Edwards told WAJR Radio said. ” But there’s definitely a long road for the family.”

Edwards said Retton’s medical team likely conducted a bronchoscopy, a technique used to examine air passages and take tissue samples. Testing those samples gives doctors the best clues as to what treatment will work best for the patient.

“You can actually do sensitivities to antibiotics with that, so you can really try to hone down which specific antibiotics are going to work against that specific organism,” Edwards said.

Retton is getting better. One her daughters reported Saturday that she has made remarkable progress in recent days.

“Mom’s progress is truly remarkable,” her daughters McKenna Kelley and Shayla Kelley Schrepfer wrote in Instagram posts. “Prayers have been felt and are being answered.

“Although she remains in ICU, her path to recovery is steadily progressing. Her fighting spirit is truly shining. Her breathing is becoming stronger, and her reliance on machines is diminishing.” Her daughters added, “She’s responding so well to treatments.”

Mary Lou Retton

Last year at this time reports of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza were coming in uncharacteristically early. The wave of infections that followed returned medical providers to the pandemic era when hospitals were full and staffs were pushed to the limit.

“We’re really starting to see this early. We had this last year where we had the massive influenza and RSV uptick late October through November,” Edwards said. “At that point, hospitals were full, and children’s hospitals were full.”

Revisiting personal hygiene practices like washing hands, covering coughs, and staying home when you’re ill is important this time of year. Edwards said getting the flu or pneumonia vaccine is something to talk to your primary care physician about, especially for people with aggravating health conditions.

“Chronic conditions like COPD, emphysema, or asthma—people that have things of that nature, I think talking to their doctor about getting the pneumonia vaccine would be a great idea,”  Edwards said.

Last year the hospital surge resulted in delays in some care due to a lack of available space, and staffing changes were required to keep up with the demand for care.

“The children’s hospitals throughout the state were just jammed full of patients, and they were working their tails off to serve our state, but it was very challenging,” according to Edwards.