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Local Hiker's Long Journey from Montana to Hand Center

Bruce Gillis, a native of Wynnewood,was hiking in Glacier National Park, Montana when he happened upon a grizzly bear and her cub. The attack that ensued is one that will forever remain a part of Bruce Gillis’ life. Though, thanks to the efforts of an entire network of medical professionals that included nearly 12 weeks of rehabilitative treatment at the Hand Center, it is not one that prevents him from looking forward to returning to the trails he has enjoyed walking for the past 20 years.

“I just came around the bend on the switchback and there she was,” said Bruce, beginning his detailed account of the moment that will forever walk with him. The “she” Bruce is referring to is a full-grown female grizzly whose eyes met his a mere thirty yards ahead on the switchback trail that climbs to the top of Scalplock Mountain, a favorite trail of Bruce’s located at the southern border of the park. Bruce estimates that he was somewhere about two miles up the trail when he saw the bear. “I turned, took two steps and looked over my shoulder to see if it was a bluff charge.”

It wasn’t.

What happened next was so incredibly fast and intense that it is amazing Bruce can recall it with such clarity. “I immediately got off the trail, dove against the base of a tree and curled into the fetal position to protect my head and vital organs. She was right on top of me.” The bear bit Bruce in his right arm, before pawing his left shoulder and shaking him violently back and forth. The force of her massive paws slapped at his tender skin for somewhere between fifteen and twenty seconds before, feeling that she had made her point, she left Bruce to return to her cub.

Having lost his eyeglasses and a great deal of blood, Bruce struggled to regain his focus. Wary of the possibility that the bear might return, he stayed against the tree and debated getting himself off of the mountain or treating himself for shock.
Eventually rationalizing that his injuries were mostly of the soft tissue variety, Bruce decided to take his rescue into his own hands and get himself down from the mountain.

With the help of a couple he met during his descent, Bruce made it safely down the mountain and was flown to a nearby hospital where doctors were able to begin washing his wounds. Over the next several days, Bruce was treated with an arsenal of antibiotics to help prevent the onset of infection, while undergoing three surgeries to close the wounds that had been exposed in the attack. During this time, the orthopedic specialist at the Montana hospital was in contact with Bruce’s personal physician in Wynnewood to organize the follow-up therapy that Bruce would need upon his return home. When it was explained that Bruce would need a great deal of rehabilitative therapy to his hands, arms and shoulder, his physician immediately suggested the Hand Center as being the best choice for such treatment.

Upon his return to Pennsylvania, Bruce came to the Hand Center’s King of Prussia office for an initial consultation with Dr. Randall W. Culp. After performing a series of diagnostic tests to assess the healing status of the wounds and arranging for instruction as to how he should best dress and change them, Dr. Culp turned his attention to the specific orthopedic problems that Bruce was facing. His left hand was partially numb, very weak and extremely swollen and he had suffered significant nerve damage to an area behind his elbow. Also, due to the depth of some of his wounds, scar tissue was failing to separate itself from the layers of skin on his left forearm and he was experiencing a weakened right rotator cuff. At the conclusion of the evaluation, Dr. Culp arranged for the start of a rehabilitation program that, over a period of time, would address all of these concerns.

Working closely with Sue Blackmore, MS,OTR/L,CHT as his primary therapist, Bruce soon began to experience significant reductions in his level of pain and numbness while at the same time enjoying a gradual return to the level of strength he had once known. Today he has almost fully returned to his original physical condition, experiencing virtually no pain, no limitations and a near complete return of strength to his upper extremities. “The care throughout the entire process has been tremendous,” said a much grateful Gillis. “From the entire medical and nursing staff at the hospital in Montana to everybody I’ve met at the Hand Center, it has been nothing short of great. Time after time as I’ve sat getting treatment, I’ve seen the professionals at the Hand Center go out of their way for their patients. It’s a constant dedication to doing quality work.”

Although he doesn’t expect to be afraid of what might lie ahead on the next trail, Bruce is honest in admitting that he won’t completely know how he’ll feel until he gets back out there.

“If anything I feel less afraid,” said a reflective Gillis. “I’ve experienced what every hiker fears most, and I survived. I just feel very positive about what has happened to me.”

Bruce credits the quality of medical care given to him throughout his recovery with being the source of a lot of the positivity that he now feels. The Philadelphia Hand Center is just happy to have been able to play a role in this process. Happy hiking Bruce!