BLOGS & NEWS

A Stroke Victim’s Story

By Mary Winder
Chief Reporter, The Kansas Chief

 The following article recently ran in The Kansas Chiefnewspaper in Wathena, Kansas. The story highlights the successful outcomes that stroke patient Sandy Rohrer achieved after receiving specialized rehabilitative care at ClearSky Rehabilitation Hospital of Elwood-St. Joseph:

 April 16 of this year started out like a typical day for Sandy Rohrer of rural Troy, but her world changed suddenly when she suffered a stroke later that day.

“I went to the mailbox around 10 a.m., came back into the house, and went into the bedroom,” she recalls. “Then, all of a sudden, I heard a horrible, loud noise and got very dizzy. I threw myself on the bed and vomited.”

“I had my cell phone and the house phone was nearby, but I couldn’t do anything with the cell phone and could only dial zero on the house phone,” she continues, adding that she just got a recording of an operator on the house phone telling her to dial the complete number. She believes she could have pushed a medical alert button, if she had had one. Sandy remained there on the bed until her husband, Fred, came into the room about 1:30 that afternoon.

“He asked, ‘What are you doing?’ and I said to him, ‘Call Tammy’ (her daughter, Tammy Thornberry),” Sandy explains. Tammy, who lives close by, quickly arrived and dialed 911. Sandy was soon on her way to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph, Mo. in an ambulance.

“I took a wild ride!” she says.

The doctors at Mosaic determined that Sandy had suffered a light stroke that affected her right arm and leg. It influenced her coordination and control, which was very frustrating for her. Sandy describes the stroke as “sneaking up on her,” as she had no warning ahead of time.

After a few days of treatment at Mosaic, the medical teams at Mosaic and ClearSky Rehabilitation Hospital of Elwood-St. Joseph collaborated with one another and decided that Sandy would benefit from additional rehabilitative services at ClearSky Elwood-St. Joseph. Therefore, Sandy was transferred on April 19 to ClearSky Elwood-St. Joseph, which is located at 502 Roseport Rd. in Elwood.

“And from there, everything has improved,” notes Sandy. “That place is awesome! The people treat you so nice. They treat you like a person. The therapists are so patient!”

“I remember driving by ClearSky (before the stroke) and thinking that it looks like a really nice place and hoping that I would never need it,” she adds. “But, then I needed it.”

Sandy underwent three hours of therapy each day during her time at ClearSky Elwood-St. Joseph. She worked hard and made good progress.

“I can use both of my hands and move my right leg now,” she says. “I’m a  little wobbly, but I can walk with a walker– I need it due to balance issues.”

The staff members who worked with Sandy were quick to commend her effort as she worked to recover from the stroke. “Sandy was very motivated, very cooperative, and a very hard worker,” says Melissa Jones of Camerson, Mo., who is a physical therapist assistant. “She’s made excellent progress. I know she has come a long way. She now does stairs, ramps, curbs, and an obstacle course, and she couldn’t do those things when she arrived.”

Eryn Graham of Smithville, Mo., a speech and language pathologist, also worked with Sandy during her stay at ClearSky Elwood-St. Joseph. Areas she concentrated on with Sandy include cognition, thinking, language, and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing).

“Sandy is an inspiration for anyone who has gone through tough times,” says Eryn. “She has taken this in stride, and she relied heavily on her faith, which has rubbed off on me and other staff members. She has been a light here. She has the mindset of taking one day at a time and you’ll be okay.” Also working closely with Sandy was Patricia Kempke, a registered occupational therapist.

“Sandy has improved motor control and improved coordination of her right arm and leg,” says Physical Therapist Nathan Gaarder of Troy, who is the stroke program director at ClearSky Elwood-St. Joseph. He evaluated Sandy when she first arrived and saw her intermittently during her stay. “We’re very focused on functional mobility and activities, so the patients can go home safely and independently,” he continues, noting that ClearSky Elwood-St. Joseph uses a multi-disciplinary approach when working with patients. “And Sandy always came with a smile on her face.”

Sandy, age 79, has high praise for the staff and facilities at ClearSky Elwood-St. Joseph. “I’ve watched people struggle in the gym and then later walk out of there,” she says. As for herself, Sandy says she feels very blessed. “Things could have been so much worse for me,” she notes.  “I keep telling myself that God is teaching me patience.”

Due to the progress she made, Sandy was released from ClearSky Elwood-St. Joseph to go home on May 6. “I wanted to go home and was excited about going home,” Sandy says. “There’s no place like home!”

Sandy uses a walker at home and will continue physical therapy. Some of the exercises she will do on her own, while staff from Doniphan County Home Health will provide some services, as well. She is also on some new medications. “Case management sets up the patients for services they need upon leaving ClearSky Elwood-St. Joseph,” Nathan explains. “Sandy should continue to improve (after going home).”

Nathan points out that May is National Stroke Awareness Month. He believes it is a good opportunity to review some basic information about strokes. According to Nathan, a good acronym to keep in mind is BE FAST, which each letter representing a different piece of information about strokes:

B–balance lost
E–eyesight change
F–facial drooping
A–arm weakness
S–speech difficulty
T–time to call 911.

Sarah Bray, director of Therapy Operations at ClearSky Elwood-St. Joseph, describes the facility as an inpatient rehabilitation hospital. “We are a leading provider of inpatient rehabilitation for stroke, brain injury, hip fracture, and other complex neurological and orthopedic conditions,” explains Sarah.

Nathan finds his work with patients at ClearSky to be very rewarding. “It is extremely fulfilling to serve the community that has done so much for me through the years,” he says.

Sandy plans to continue doing the bookkeeping for Rohrer’s Game Farm, a task she has done since 1984. In addition, as she makes further improvements in the weeks and months to come, she would like to return to ClearSky Elwood-St. Joseph, but this time as a volunteer rather than as a patient.

“I want to give back,” she says.