If you’re asleep when you’re having a stroke, how do you know what’s really going on? This is a question Jennie faced when she went to bed one night in 2021 with what she thought was a “weird headache,” but woke up eight hours later impaired from what was actually an Ischemic Stroke. Jennie, who was in her 40s and an active runner when she suffered the stroke, couldn’t walk or even crawl when the ambulance came to take her to the hospital. She lost mobility on her left side – her dominant side – experienced ongoing neuropathy and had her voice and speech affected. “I was in the acute care hospital for a week and a half and I couldn’t even get out of bed,” expressed Jennie.
After spending a month in the hospital and focusing on rehabilitation for three to four hours a day, she was sent home where she continued her therapy on an out-patient basis. Her goal was to work on gaining strength, standing, walking and importantly, getting herself out of her wheelchair. Ironically, one of Jennie’s first jobs was as a Certified Nursing Assistant with stroke patients so she understood the dedication it would take to make progress on her road to recovery. Then, her insurance coverage ran out. Jennie’s insurance plan was typical; it covered 15 outpatient sessions of Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy (PT), which she used in about seven weeks. This meant that in order to continue the crucial rehabilitation sessions, she was paying up to $1,000 a day – and she still couldn’t walk. She knew she had a long road ahead of her but as she says, “I don’t have a ‘give up’ button!”
Jennie switched to a new rehabilitation center, STEPS for Recovery, and learned that she could apply for a grant from BELIEVE – Stroke Recovery Foundation. “When I received the grant, it meant more to me than receiving the money; I felt so validated,” Jennie explained. “I felt like there’s still something good in the world. It was like a big exhale.” She remained laser focused, using the grant money to improve her coordination, balance and gait, and importantly, begin walking without a cane. While working on OT at STEPS, her therapists were able to diagnose a new movement disorder as a result of her stroke – dystonia (involuntary muscle contractions). She began working to address it. Her tenacity was a huge asset.
Jennie, who’s been diligently working on rehabilitation since the first week of February, 2022, is still doing OT and PT once a week, plus exercises at home for two to four hours a day. She continues to improve the steadiness in her walking and mobility, while also strengthening her left arm, because she still often struggles to pick up items. The tremors from her dystonia sometimes shake her entire body. She’ll be starting vision rehabilitation soon, then she can work towards driving. She’s still determining what her “new normal” will be but that’s not holding her back from setting high goals and working hard to achieve them. Though she’s back at work as a psychotherapist part-time, her goal is to work full-time again as soon as possible. “The help from BSRF, both financially and emotionally, has really made a difference in my ability to get through this,” Jennie said. “Ultimately, I want to be able to pay it forward.”
If you’re inspired by Jennie’s story and you want to support a stroke warrior, like her, donate today:
