Encompass Health seeing results with intense stroke-therapy program

 Results aren't touting 100% recovery; so in my opinion, STILL A FAILURE!

You can't let your stroke medical 'professionals' force you to accept their tyranny of low expectations!

I call them as I see them and this isn't survivor success! 100% recovery is survivor success!

Encompass Health seeing results with intense stroke-therapy program

AVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Strokes are mysterious. Encompass Health uses hard work and dedication to reduce the mystery in recovering from a stroke.

“Every stroke is different,’' says Dr. Nicholas Vlahos, of Encompass Health. ”But some strokes, we have people come in with complete paralysis of one side of the body and end up able to walk and live the life they were living prior to their hospitalization.’'

Intense rehab therapy helps achieve such results at the Encompass Rehabilitation Hospital of Savannah.

Patients like Timothy James put in three hours of rehab five days a week, work that they often want as much as they need.“I was one of those people, I was eager,’' said James, who suffered a stroke a year ago. ”When you’re sitting on the bedside and you’ve got your wife saying ‘please don’t leave me’ and your mother sitting in the corner saying ‘we’re not doing a funeral,’ you have to make the decision to choose life or death. I chose life.’'

James credits the physically challenging therapy at Encompass for leading back to many of the activities he enjoyed prior to his stroke, from his first steps of rehab to much farther down the line now.

“I was emotional every day, waking up at 6 in the morning.’' Said James. ”They’re getting you ready and they’re teaching you basic skills like how to brush your teeth again, how to stand. common things.’'

“By the end of his rehab stay here with us, we had him up and walking independently by himself,’' said Dr. Vlahos. ”So, with a lot of hard work and dedication from both the patient and the Encompass team, we were able to get some really fantastic results.’'Getting medical attention quickly as James did when he suffered his stroke is critically important to recovery and a timely start to rehab.

“It starts in the hospital. As soon as the patient is able to tolerate therapy, they’re starting to do it,’' says Dr. Vlahos. ”The period of time when we see the most improvement after a stroke is within the first six months. And the fastest and most significant recovery typically happens within the first 90 days.

“So, it’s really crucial that patients get early initiation and mobilization therapy to maximize their recovery.’'

James’ girlfriend at the time was a medical assistant and recognized his stroke systems immediately.She got him to the emergency room and stayed with him through his therapy. Now, their relationship has gone to another level and represents how far he has come in the last year.

“I got married. I got married, that was a beautiful thing,’' said James. ”I love being able to run on the beach with my wife. I’m able to drive again, I started a podcast very much dedicated to quality of life and being a stroke survivor.’'

And he participates in the Encompass bi-weekly Stroke Support Group, to keep learning, but also to stay engaged with the people and place his still appreciates.

“It’s rare that you get an organization that really believes it sometimes more than the patient,’' said James. ”They’re not miracle workers, but they’re just what the doctor ordered.

“These people want you to be better in life. They’re dedicated to pushing you and making you grab it. So, every time I can, I come back and thank them. I owe them everything, They saved my life.’'