At Reunion Rehabilitation, patient success is at the core of what we do. Every single day, we strive to provide our patients with quality care, a welcoming environment, and specialized support.
We love hearing from previous patients and getting to celebrate their success with them. Today we’re going to hear from Jacob A., a former patient at Reunion Inverness.
His letter to us reads…
“On Monday, September 9th, my husband and I were returning to Denver from Dallas when my right leg suddenly went numb. Ignoring my husband Taylor's advice, I stubbornly insisted on walking off the plane and to the truck on my own. However, my condition worsened as my right arm became numb and the right side of my face drooped. Realizing something was seriously wrong, we rushed to the ER.
Within minutes of mentioning I thought I had a stroke, a team of medical professionals surrounded me, offering support and immediately performing a CT scan, labs, and other tests to determine a plan of action.
My journey continued with a move to the ICU, having an MRI completed. That’s when we had confirmation that I had suffered a stroke, affecting my middle cerebral artery and right pons.
After 4 days in the ICU, my blood pressure was getting controlled and I was transitioned to inpatient rehabilitation at Reunion Inverness Rehab. Before deciding to transition to rehab, we had a long list of questions about rehab.
That is when we met Reunion’s liaison, Stephanie, who came in and spent time with me, my husband, and my family and spent the time to answer all of the questions that we had. But the conversation didn’t stop there, it was suggested that my husband and family stop over at Reunion to take a tour and see the facility firsthand. Of course, I could not get over there for the tour but they provided me with a full report back on their experience and several things stood out to me to help me make the final decision.
My family reported back that the facility was impeccable, I’d have a private suite, great common areas for visits with family and friends, an outdoor area to relax but also work on recovery of different walking surfaces, and two well-equipped gyms to focus on my recovery. But all that you can find in their advertisement, what stood out to me, was the attention to detail.
I transitioned from the hospital on a Friday afternoon and arrived at Reunion at about 3:30pm where my nurse, Jennifer, began to complete the intake information, give me a tour, and address any questions I had.
The next morning, my recovery plan took shape when I met with a physical therapist, speech therapist, and occupational therapist to complete initial evaluations to see where I am at so we could put together a plan and begin the aggressive treatment to regain as much mobility I could while in rehab. Each member of the team I interacted with was amazing, caring, and was invested in my recovery efforts, I never felt like just a patient that had to ‘deal’ with.
Each day, I was pushed and positively motivated to keep me going and push for maximum recovery efforts. It was not easy, but it was extremely beneficial in my recovery journey the time I spent at Reunion. Again, I was not just another patient, it felt like I was a member of their family and dedicated their time and efforts to my recovery as if I were their family member.
For the next 6 days, I put in the work with the team at Reunion, focusing on my post stroke recovery until I had the good news that they felt I had progressed enough to be released to go home! But I didn’t get just a release, there was an entire plan worked on before I could be discharged. I met with a nurse case manager, Melissa, who worked with looking for outpatient therapy so I can continue that, met with Dr. Becker who walked me through medications and things to watch for when I get home, to the therapy team who sent me with a ton of homework to continue. Once the discharge plan was set, I was given the green light to get discharged Thursday morning.
Wednesday evening, I was invited to join the Stroke Support Group that meets once a month at Reunion. I was able to meet other stroke survivors, hear about their journeys and the progress they have made as well, and share my story and journey.
Today as I write this, just 45 days after my stroke, I am excited and grateful to share that I am recovering well and close to getting back to life pre-stroke. I recently spent a week in the mountains where I got to go on some hikes, ride UTVs and motorcycles, and enjoy all the things I did before I had a stroke. I’m back to working full time, back to my gym routines, and taking back what the stroke took away from me.
My road to recovery is far from over, but I am grateful for every small win that I have made. Use my story as a reminder to prioritize your health, regardless of age or perceived fitness. Stay vigilant, educate yourself on the signs of stroke, and don't hesitate to seek help. Embrace every opportunity life offers, as tomorrow is never guaranteed.”
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Jacob. Our staff was honored to be part of Jacob’s healing and to be able to witness the immense progress he made during his time at Reunion.
Jacob’s story demonstrates Reunion’s dedication to helping patients return to their communities with as much confidence and independence as possible. If you or someone you know is interested in stroke rehabilitation, you can learn more about our services here.
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