StrokeSurvivorBlog

Last Monday was the last of 35 External Counter Pulsation (ECP) treatments Steve has undergone for congestive heart failure and angina. When each hour-long session was completed, he felt pretty good, and toward the end he was able to walk without a cane for about 275 feet just touching the wall for balance. His legs [...]

When Steve had a massive ischemic stroke in February 2008, it paralyzed the left side of his body. Regaining arm function after his stroke looked grim. This one-sided paralysis is called hemiplegia. But as weeks went by, he started to regain leg movement, but nothing in his arm. So the diagnosis was changed to one-sided [...]

Steve will be getting home health care again. A new home health care agency opened up in town, and they offer free occupational and physical therapy, plus skilled nursing care to those who qualify. Presently they only have a temporary license to practice. They need 10 patients under their care in order for the agency [...]

A side effect of Steve’s stroke was breathing difficulty. It wasn’t anything that could be treated with a pill. While he was in the nursing home he got instant relief from the labored breathing on two occasions when Krista, a substitute physical therapist, worked on him. She was just filling in and commuted from another city, but she had [...]

About 6 months after Steve’s stroke, he started aquatic therapy at the CP Center working one-on-one with a physical therapist. When the insurance ran out, they offered us a pool pass for 10 one-hour sessions for only $20 if I worked with him instead of the therapist. That worked out great because I knew what to do. And there was [...]

Aquatic therapy is going well, and Steve’s one on one time with a therapist has been extended for a few more months. He also joined a group class for stroke and head injury survivors, but it’s not as challenging as the individual therapy. We finally got his ingrown toenail taken care of. This was absolutely necessary in order for him [...]

Now that Steve only has therapy twice a week at the CP Aquatic Center, the responsibility lies on me to help him with physical and occupational therapy at home. The therapists at the hospital gave us a therapy program to follow, but it takes a lot of diligence, and it’s very strenuous on my hands. But I [...]