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Stroke
Survivors of the Month
- January / February
2005 Hazella says: "When I first began recovery training with Eugene in May 2003 he was as stiff as a board. The shock his body had endured from the stroke was so severe that his ability to initiate any significant range of motion was unbearably painful. A combination of muscle spasms and arthritis made our sessions slow, difficult and exhausting. The duration of physical therapy sessions he was being given in the rehabilitation facility were insufficient for the amount of work he needed to do. I only trained with him once a week. That was not enough. It was obvious to me that he was progressing but was capable of achieving more if given more time and patience. Before long, the therapy sessions were cut back then discontinued altogether. Eugene was devastated and depressed. He was given the impression that he'd never get any better. I shared his agony because it sparked memories of my own rehabilitation experience. When you're told you don't qualify for any more therapy -- whether it's physical, speech, visual or cognitive - you feel as though a door has been shut and you'll never again see the light of day. Fortunately, Eugene was discharged home and qualified for out-patient therapy at another facility, however there was some lag time while waiting for approval. During that time we continued in-home recovery training sessions consistently enough to keep him moving forward. Now he has made significant enough progress to disprove the therapists' evaluation that he had reached his greatest medical outcome. Eugene is truly amazing to me. His focus, determination, tenacity and sense of humor have made our sessions more than just successful - they're FUN! Whereas once he couldn't move his neck at all, he's now turning his head freely from side to side, moving it up and down, gaining mobility on his left side and more strength in his right side. He's bending at the waist and is able to stand with assistance. His brother, Earl, is speaking with clarity and comes for frequent visits to his brother's home. It's spine-tingling to watch the two of them conversing and kidding around when I consider what poor condition they were in when I first saw each of them. There is no doubt in my mind that recovery is psychological and spiritual in nature as well as physical. These two men have shown me that my own recovery is no more a miracle than theirs. The miracle is in what you believe and your willingness to make it happen." 
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