RECOVERY RECAPS

Finally! Welcome Results for Long-Term Back Pain Sufferer

Two decades ago, George Derleth, 77, of Saginaw, slipped and fell on a metal staircase at work. Since then, he’s had a long, 20-year saga of low back pain, five failed back surgeries, and 20 years of physical therapy.

“I’ve gone everywhere trying to get help for my back and legs,” he explains. “HealthSource is the place that I prefer, period!”

Before coming to HealthSource for outpatient physical and occupational therapy, George had already undergone medical treatment and rehabilitation at other facilities with little to show for it. He was barely able to walk in his home. His wife, Patty was dressing and bathing him, helping transfer him in and out of his wheelchair and in and out of bed. He described his life as painful, boring and monotonous, shuffling between watching TV in the bedroom or living room.

George recalls going into his first back surgery after the fall with a pain level of 10. “I came out with an excruciating 15,” he explains. I have prayed for 20 years. The answer that God has given me so far is…no, you’re not going to get better. You’re always going to be hurting, 24 hours a day.”

After his first round of rehabilitation at HealthSource – which included both land and water therapy – both of George’s legs and back got better. He finally saw progress and was soon able to drive himself to appointments, walk in the front doors to the outpatient gym with a walker, and participate in an hour of therapy. “I came in with wheelchair and was able to walk out with a walker,” George says. “So I love this place!”

He also felt good enough to share his woodworking skills with a neighbor. The two now make cabinets and charcuterie boards among other items. “What a great friend,” George says. “He’s been just a blessing to me.”

One of the best parts of therapy at HealthSource is the consistent relationship with dedicated therapists. “Brian and Kelly are very good friends of mine now,” he explains. At other places, he describes having one person for an evaluation, then therapy with an assistant one day and somebody else the next. It was always changing. “At HealthSource, it’s the same people. It makes a world of difference to have the same people all the time, every time I come.”

Unfortunately, during the holidays, George had pneumonia and fell, hitting his head hard enough suffer a concussion. He began 2022 back in therapy. “I’m not quite where I started, but maybe halfway back, so I’m happy.”

He says he’s anxious to walk outside with Patti and hopes to return to playing golf someday…at least 9 holes. He plays poker and euchre occasionally and considers himself lucky. “I don’t expect to ever get better completely. But I sure would like to control my pain so I’m not grouchy to my wife,” he says. “I have good friends, people who encourage me and help me along the way. So I’m very fortunate.”

Aquatic Therapy Expedites Recovery for Middle School Athlete

For 14-year-old Carson Kowalski, a soccer injury put a major halt to middle-school life as he knew it. In pain and forced to be non-weight bearing when not confined to a fracture boot or cast, he was no longer able to continue the season with his new soccer team. He missed out on months of skating, skiing, and bowling with friends and was unable to walk, run, wake board or golf. During a long-awaited trip to Washington, DC, he plodded along in a full cast using a scooter.

“When we first took Carson to the doctor after he got kicked hard in the ankle, they told us to just give it time,” remembers Anne Kowalski, Carson’s mom. “It wasn’t broken, just very swollen and bruised.” After following up with an orthopedic surgeon, the Kowalskis learned Carson suffered a ruptured posterior tibial tendon. From there he was immobilized in a fracture boot for several weeks, then a cast for about six weeks, and then back in a fracture boot.

“He was a very good athlete,” Anne says. “It was very disappointing. I did have the fear that Carson would not get back on the soccer field.”

All those months of uncertainty changed when she heard about the therapy pool at HealthSource. “Since then, we’ve come so far so fast,” she says.

When Carson arrived at HealthSource for outpatient therapy nearly six months after his injury, he could not walk. He spent the first several weeks exclusively in the pool with his therapist Brian. “I couldn’t put any weight on my foot when I came in,” Carson explains. “But when they raised the water up to my chest, I was perfect! I could walk and do everything again. Now we normally run 2 or 2.5 miles, and we do lots of activities like jumping side to side.”

Land therapy in the gym was soon added to his treatment plan – something Carson, Anne and Brian worked on together with specific goals. “Having those goals really helped him want to do his exercises at home as well,” Anne says. Now Carson and Brian work on balance, strength, and agility and track his improvements rocking on a ball, running ladders in the hallway, and performing other exercises.

“When I go to HealthSource, Brian greets me right away. I get changed and we’re already going,” Carson explains. “I’m just hoping to be able to play soccer again and get this injury over with.”

Anne says, “I can tell you that my son 100% enjoys coming to therapy at HealthSource. They really make it fun. We’ve gotten to know some of the other therapists and patients. It’s like we come here and hang out for an hour with our friends before we go home!

“I just cannot say enough about the pool,” she adds. “I really, truly feel that expedited his recovery!”

Aquatic Therapy Leads to Progress with No Pain

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Finding Life Again, and Again, and Again Through Rehabilitation at HealthSource

When Sharon Faber of Zilwaukee looks down at her new, straighter, stronger legs, she hardly recognizes them.

It all began less than two years ago when she fractured her ankle and was referred to orthopedic surgeon Tarek Taha, MD. “When Dr. Taha was examining my ankle, he noticed my knees,” Sharon explains. “I suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and my knees were noticeably deformed in what is called ‘wind swept’ pattern – one leg is knock kneed and the other is bow legged.”

Sharon vividly remembers the moment Dr. Taha saw her legs as she stood up from the wheelchair. “I can fix those,” he said. “Is that something you’d be interested in?” Noting that no other physician had ever wanted to tackle her deformed legs, Sharon was ecstatic.

“Both of Sharon’s knees were pretty bad and both needed to be replaced,” Dr. Taha says. “She was very restricted in her movement so we offered to take care of both knees, one at a time.”

In preparation before her surgery, Sharon did research to find the best rehabilitation facility – one that would offer her both inpatient therapy immediately following each surgery…as well as outpatient rehabilitation once she was able to go back home to complete her recovery.

“HealthSource returned my calls and invited me to come and tour the facility,” Sharon says. “They parked my car for me and wheeled me around to see everything they have to offer. I was sold!”

Dr. Taha performed total knee replacements on Sharon’s knees – 90 days apart — with the help of the Mako robot. After each surgery she went to HealthSource for both inpatient and outpatient therapy.

“After surgery, I stayed at HealthSource for a month each time. I was with Heidi and Holly for my knees,” Sharon explains. “They push you hard. And it’s good. They do it in a very gentle way. You don’t want to move but you have to. If you really can’t do it, they give you a few minutes to rest, catch your breath, cry a little if needed, and come back at it.”

This is where Dr. Taha believes Sharon’s successful outcomes were solidified. “Her experience at HealthSource helped her tremendously,” he says. “With joint replacement, there is a big role for post-operative therapy. You can have the surgery but if you don’t participate in quality rehabilitation, you’re going to be limited with how much function you have in your new knee. Sometimes, you have to push the patient a little bit. The early gains are the ones that serve patients long term.”

He is very pleased with Sharon’s outcomes, saying “she is probably one of the worst cases I’ve done.”

Unfortunately, Sharon suffered a stroke (due to sleep apnea) several months after her second knee surgery. Again, she came back to HealthSource for care to work on balance, mobility in her right side and to regain speech and cognitive function. Her therapists were Erin in physical therapy, Lisa in occupational therapy, and Janae in speech/language pathology.

Initially Sharon’s therapists and physicians thought she might have to stay at HealthSource for three to four weeks following her stroke. “Through my faith and the many people who prayed for me, I was out and home by myself in two weeks,” she says. “I worked hard. I wasn’t going to let this stop me.”

All in all, Sharon is a big HealthSource fan. “It’s A+ here,” she says. “I highly, highly recommend therapy here. Not once, not twice, but three times they gave me my life back.”

Outpatient Therapy Changes College Student’s Life

As a three-sport athlete, National Honor Society member, and dual-enrolled student at Vassar High School, Kassie Verbeek was always laughing and smiling – the one everyone else turned to for support and motivation. Little did anyone know, Kassie felt sad and alone. Looking back in hindsight after working closely with her HealthSource outpatient therapist, she acknowledges she was “hurting deeply inside.”

Staying busy in school is how she compensated. So in November 2016 when she suffered a concussion playing volleyball and was forced to take a break from all school activities, she didn’t know what to do.

“I began having intense migraines every single day and got dizzy when I moved my head even the slightest,” Kassie remembers. She had expected some recovery time for the concussion, but was overwhelmed with physical, emotional and mental pain made worse by not being to play sports and study, focus, or concentrate in class. She went to physical therapists and saw a multitude of specialists. “But it was just disappointment after disappointment,” she says.

Eventually Kassie was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, a condition that can take months to years to heal from. Kassie graduated from high school in 2017 — despite missing lots of school — and headed off to college where she quickly earned an associate’s degree a year later thanks to all her dual-enrolled credits. “I know I should have been extremely proud of myself but I was just so sad,” Kassie says. “I didn’t tell anyone how I was feeling emotionally because I was so tired of going to doctors and was too afraid my parents would think differently of me.”

Drained, empty, and distracted by negative thoughts, Kassie finally opened up to friend who eventually called 911 out of concern for her. After inpatient treatment at HealthSource and another facility, Kassie’s doctors recommended regularly scheduled outpatient therapy. She begrudgingly made an appointment with Dr. Jill – HealthSource therapist Jill Hogenson, LMSW ACSW.

“Weekly therapy started out as something I felt like I was forced to go to, but soon became my favorite thing,” Kassie says. “It makes me feel so much better about my life and I look forward to it.”

As luck would have it, Hogenson’s own daughter had post-concussion syndrome and was able to validate the physical and emotional pain Kassie was experiencing. “Dr. Jill helps me tremendously with everything in my life. She helps me sort through all my thoughts and make sense of things. I now have coping skills. It has been a long process of healing but I can now get through my life and not give up faith in myself.”

Back in college and working, Kassie is motivated to share her experiences in the hopes of helping others. “Around one in five people suffer from a mental illness. I will always advocate for mental health because the negative stigma against it isn’t okay. No one should be labeled crazy just because they suffer from an illness they can’t control. We don’t think twice about physical illnesses, so why is the brain any different? It isn’t!”

Early Gains in Post-Op Therapy Serve Ortho Patients Well in the Long Term

Orthopedic surgeon Tarek Taha, MD, is a firm believer in the role of post-operative therapy following total joint replacements. “We can do the surgery but if patients don’t rehab, they are going to be limited with how much function they get back. If patients don’t get range of motion early on, they it’s going to be hard for them to get it later on,” he says.

Sharon Faber of Zilwaukee is one of Dr. Taha’s patients. She suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and her knees were noticeably deformed in what is called a “wind swept” pattern – with one leg knock kneed and the other bow legged.

“Both of Sharon’s knees were pretty bad and both needed to be replaced,” Dr. Taha says. “She was very restricted in her movement so we offered to take care of both knees, one at a time.”

Sharon came to HealthSource for inpatient and outpatient therapy following both surgeries.

When she came to see Dr. Taha for her first post op appointment, her knees were still a little stiff as expected. “But the post-operative therapy protocol she experienced at HealthSource was helping her tremendously,” he explains. “She told me her therapists pushed her until she had tears in her eyes. Sometimes you have to do that. It’s not trying to be mean or anything. It’s because the early gains a patient gets are the ones that serve them long term.”

He is very pleased with Sharon’s outcomes, noting she is probably one of the worst cases he’s ever done.

“The service patients get at HealthSource is quite exceptional,” Dr. Taha says. “In my experience, the communication I have with the therapists and physicians has been quite good. It helps when you have a facility where you know the people because you can trust the care your patient will get.”

Wrestling for Words

Corey Dwenger came to HealthSource for therapy after a near fatal car accident last fall. A well-known and beloved local high school wrestling coach, Corey sustained a traumatic brain injury affecting the left side of his brain. He wasn’t expected to live. But he did!

“The first thing I remember when I woke up is I couldn’t talk,” Corey explains. While miraculously regaining his physical health, he was faced with the effects of a brain injury that impacts his language center for understanding and expressing communication. Corey demonstrates expressive aphasia. Despite knowing what he wants to say, his brain does not communicate smoothly to his mouth.

Corey turned to HealthSource for outpatient care because it’s close to home and offers the very care he needed, including both physical and speech therapy. HealthSource speech-language pathologists still work with Corey to help him express himself verbally. Corey believes their help has made a world of difference. And that is evident when he speaks to tell his story.

“I could do this by myself but it would be hard,” he says about regaining his speech. “I’m only 8 months since my accident. If I tried to recover on my own, I would be way behind where I am now.”

Corey’s therapy includes timed word recognition tests. A devoted father, he asks his daughters to help him practice and improve. He also uses paper and pen to write down words that won’t come out.

That drive to get better helped Corey return to a coaching role this past wrestling season. “As long as I’m living and getting better, breathing…and my kids are happy…then I’m good like that. HealthSource is the best place. I love being here. I couldn’t have done this on my own.”

Fueled by Determination

Prior to his first stroke in 2015, Doug Mace, then 48, commuted from his home in Clio to Kirtland College to teach mathematics. Always up for adventure and travel, he took a sabbatical to go overseas and teach at military bases. He and his wife, Eadie, had just arrived in Germany and Doug had taught his first class when he suffered a stroke – something quite unexpected that rocked the couple.

Doug was hospitalized in Germany and began his rehabilitation there, ultimately spending nearly three months in the country before he was cleared to fly back to the United States.

“When we got home, Doug was doing therapy in Clio but we were having trouble finding the right speech therapist,” Eadie explains. “We were struggling. He wasn’t getting the intensity he needed for his aphasia.”

Around the same time, his physical therapist gave him a pamphlet about the Bioness NESSâ L300ä to improve foot drop, though she had never worked with the technology.

“Our doctor knew HealthSource had,” Eadie says. “He strongly recommended HealthSource. We also spoke to him about our search for the right speech therapist. He said HealthSource had the perfect speech therapist too. So, we said ‘sign us up – we’re ready.’”

Making the drive from Clio two times a week, Doug worked with HealthSource physical therapists and speech-language pathologists – fueled by his determination to get back to work as a math teacher. “It was the attention to detail,” Doug says, “that’s how I knew this was the place to be.”

According to Eadie, Doug’s vast math knowledge and ability to teach were still there, he just had difficulty tapping into it. “Katie worked one-on-one and pounded it out of him,” she remembers. “He didn’t always appreciate it, but she promised she would get him back to work and she did.”

Doug’s hard work paid off when he successfully passed the test Kirtland required to get his job back. Not long after returning to teaching, Doug flew to a conference in Denver with fellow math teachers to present on his work in Germany. Two weeks later, he had his second stroke. While the first affected his right side, the second affected his left.

After a month at Genesys, Doug came back to HealthSource for outpatient treatment again.

“They weren’t exactly happy to see him because, of course, that’s never their goal,” Eadie laughs. “But they jumped right back in and started all over.”

His physical therapist worked with him to get his strength back and get him walking again. “He pushed him and pushed him,” Eadie remembers.  His speech-language pathologist focused more on memory work this time around.

“It isn’t easy coming to Saginaw twice a week,” Eadie explains, “Especially in the winter. But it’s so worth the drive. He’s not just the 10 o’clock appointment. He’s Doug to them. More than coming in for the drudgery of physical therapy, it’s coming in and – in a sense – he’s with friends. He’s with family who want the best for him.”

Doug adds, “HealthSource IS family.”

Note:  If using for NewsSource, it’s worth noting that Doug took this summer months off to see how he could do on his own. He’s very anxious to get back to assess “how much I’ve lost.” Eadie told me on the sly that he doesn’t do much of anything on his own, so he REALLY needs to get back and knows he does. Brian and Katie are very motivational for him!

From Road Trip to the Road to Recovery

When Guy Brunner took off on a motorcycle trip out west last year with three buddies, he never imagined how the adventure would end…and how HealthSource Saginaw would play a vital role in getting him back on the road with his 2010 Harley Street Glide after his stroke.

Five days into the 10-day trip to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally , Guy woke up in the morning unable to move. One of his friends heard him thrashing around and flipped on the light. “He took one look at me and knew I had had a stroke in the night,” Guy remembers. After being evaluated at a local hospital near their rental cabin in Sundance, Wyoming, Guy was quickly taken by jet to Sanford Health, a major teaching hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

“Too much time had passed for me to receive the clot-busting drugs,” Guy explains. Just by chance, a visiting physician giving a lecture at Sanford was able to perform an endovascular procedure call a mechanical thrombectomy to remove the clot in Guy’s brain causing the stroke. The complex procedure isn’t done at many hospitals.

After 8 days in intensive care out west, Guy was ready to be discharged to an acute inpatient rehabilitation facility. He needed intensive physical, occupation, and speech/language therapy to regain the ability to use his left side and to restore memory and problem solving skills. He and his wife wanted to be close to home in Vassar, so they started Googling inpatient rehabilitation facilities here in the Great Lakes Bay Region.

“My wife saw some really great reviews about HealthSource and knew a person or two who received good care there,” Guy explains. “HealthSource sounded like the place for me to be.”

Again Guy was flown by jet back to Michigan, where an awaiting ambulance brought him to HealthSource for two weeks of inpatient therapy and two months of outpatient therapy. “The quality of people at HealthSource is exceptional,” he says. “Really nice. Easy to get along with. The kind who would do anything for you.”

Guy remembers a specific event that particularly touched his heart. “Derek was one of two people in charge of me while I was down in my room. I’m not a big eater so he really watched what I got to eat. He realized one day that the food I got wasn’t to my liking, so he put me in a wheelchair, took me down to the kitchen, and let me pick out whatever I wanted before taking me back to my room. That was really nice.”

Guy also felt that personal touch in the therapy gym. “Therapy was awesome,” he remembers. “Occupational therapy was one of the hardest for me, trying to work small things. My hand and left arm were the last thing to come back. They worked on that pretty hard.”

Physical therapy was “fun” because Guy’s team of therapists “switched it up” every time.
Speech & language pathology, what Guy calls “mind therapy,” helped him in many ways, including apps to use on his phone for memory building activities and games.

These three disciplines, over the course of just a few months, gave Guy the ability to go back and do his job again as a kitchen designer at Vassar Building Center. His bosses there were flexible in allowing him to work his way back from part- to full-time. He also got back on his bike, initially riding around his house until he was brave enough to go out on the road.

“HealthSource was extremely important in my comeback,” he says. “They gave me the care, the motivation, and the ability to come back from a stroke.”

I am alive! I can walk!

Just six words, but one powerful reason Robert Cook is singing the praises of HealthSource Saginaw and its leading medical rehabilitation experts and facilities.

Robert suffered complications during a heart procedure that caused bleeding in his brain. A surgeon had to perform emergency brain surgery to repair the bleeding vessel. Robert thankfully lived through the serious crisis, but required intensive rehabilitation afterward.

He arrived at HealthSource wearing a protective helmet with his scalp plate removed. He couldn’t walk, talk or hold his head up. His entire left side was affected.

He walked out on his own three months later after working hard with his acute inpatient rehabilitation team for speech-language pathology, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. Once discharged, Robert continued to visit HealthSource for outpatient rehabilitation and continued improvement.

During that time, he choked on a steak while eating out at a local restaurant. A nurse from St. Mary’s of Michigan happened to be dining in the restaurant and jumped into action to save Robert. Her heroics were highlighted on WNEM TV-5. Robert’s seven broken ribs and swallowing issues landed him back at HealthSource for more rehabilitation.

“It’s as if God put a bunch of angels on earth to help me,” he reflects. “The people here at HealthSource do amazing work. They treated me like a human being with real compassion. And they were tough on me at the same time because they wanted me to get better.”

Prior to his health problems, Robert was a fine art painter. During his stay at HealthSource, to show his appreciation, he gave away some of his paintings to nurses and certified nursing aides who helped him through his medical and rehabilitation challenges.

Back to painting again and playing bridge, Robert says, “I got good rehab at HealthSource. They are good people. They’ll do anything for you.”

A New Year a New Start

New Year’s 2016 was supposed to be a festive one for Jeff and his wife, Shelly, who live in Shields. They traveled down to Macomb County that year to ring in New Year’s Eve with their son. Instead, Jeff woke up New Year’s Eve morning having a stroke. He was rushed to nearby Henry Ford Hospital, where he stayed a week in intensive care.

To keep the momentum of his recovery going, the Taylors wanted to find Jeff a top-notch place for inpatient rehabilitation. They preferred something closer to home so that Shelly and the Taylor’s dog Chico could provide continuous love and support.

They chose HealthSource Saginaw. When asked why, they admit there are now several choices in this area for inpatient rehabilitation.  They chose HealthSource because of our excellent reputation for treating stroke patients and for our beautiful facility, which is so close and convenient to their home.

“The whole place is just fantastic,” he says. Jeff stayed one month in the Beaches neighborhood for acute inpatient rehabilitation, receiving physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech & language pathology. He progressed to outpatient therapy three times a week, and continues working out now in the HealthSource therapy gym several times a week.

“They unloaded me from the car when I arrived at HealthSource from Henry Ford and, after just a brief trip to my room, started therapy right away,” Jeff remembers. He appreciated how kind everyone was to him. He was encouraged by everyone’s motivating approach – something he saw at the beginning of his stay, throughout his treatment, and to this day when he comes to the therapy gym. Jeff commends the expertise of his whole team, including aides, nurses, and therapists. “They are all Number One on my list,” he notes.

Jeff loves hunting and working in the yard, something he shared with his therapists. “They knew I was motived to get back to my normal life and routine, so they had me working hard,” he says. “They called me an overachiever. If they asked for five sit-ups, I have them 10.”

Today, Jeff is doing great. His left foot drags a little when he’s tired, but he is quick to show anyone how well his left hand works. “I wouldn’t be like this without HealthSource,” he points out. “Something great happened when they brought me here and I started therapy. It just continued until I walked out, got in my truck and drove away!”

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Outpatient Therapy Helped Stroke Patient Regain His Voice

Hearing her husband, Norman, singing in the shower is a source of pride for Mary Ann Stange. Three years ago, her husband of 41 years suffered a stroke. The two were attending a play in Bay City when suddenly Norm couldn’t speak – not a single word.

Luckily, he was treated quickly with a clot-busting medication (Alteplase IV r-tPA ) and was only hospitalized for a short time. Norm’s stroke left him unable to read, write, or speak. The couple was devastated. However, Norm was committed to gain his communication back and worked intensely in outpatient therapy at HealthSource Saginaw with speech-language pathologist Katie McDonald.  Norm regained function and was nearly back to normal in six months.

Many people think speech-language pathology is therapy to improve talking. In fact, HealthSource speech-language pathologists (SLPs) help patients overcome numerous communication, cognitive, and swallowing deficits.  Therapy often focuses on treating the patient as a whole and addressing language understanding and expression (written and verbal), breath support and voicing, attention processing, spatial awareness, judgement, and memory as well as motor speech production and swallowing.

Norm’s challenges included aphasia – which affected his ability to listen, read, and think of or use words – as well as apraxia of speech, an impairment of muscle use affecting voluntary control, initiation, and coordination of movement.

During his outpatient sessions with Katie, Norm performed motor speech exercises aimed at training correct placement of  his tongue in the mouth, to improve sound productions and coordination of speech.  He also followed a series of commands of increasing length designed to retrain his brain.

“Singing in the shower was part of his homework”, says Mary Ann, who, along with Katie encouraged Norm to speak in full sentences rather than just one word responses. Norm used a frozen spoon to massage the muscles around his mouth left slightly droopy after the stroke. A great support network of friends, who meet several times a week at Big Apple Bagel, also helped Norm practice his constantly improving communication skills.

Even his grandchildren got in on the action, bringing grandpa their kindergarten and first-grade books so he could work on reading, concentration, and memory.

“I had a lot of support,” Norm says. “But I had to put in the work. That’s for sure.” He calls Katie a gentle pusher. “She is so upbeat. Her personality is easy to connect with. She was patient with me, but determined to bring about progress. It was a great experience being teamed up with her.”

Mary Ann calls Norm’s recovery “remarkable,” thanks to HealthSource. “To look at or listen to Norm now, you would never know he had a stroke,” she explains with a genuine sense of awe and gratitude.

Overall, the Stanges give HealthSource a grade “A+” for rehabilitation. “Most people talk without even thinking about it,” Norm adds. “I still have to think about it. Every now and then I use the wrong pronoun. The other day I caught myself using the wrong word when I wrote out a Valentine’s Day card. But I feel very lucky.”

Finding Life After Life-Threatening Injuries

For Connie Taschner of Saginaw, life as she knew it changed completely on March 27, 2014, when she sustained a traumatic brain injury in a car accident. Her doctors in Ann Arbor didn’t expect her to survive, let alone recover to the point of walking, talking, and leading a full life with her husband, Ron.

“I’ve come a long way,” Connie says, crediting the Long-Term Care and Medical Rehabilitation experts at HealthSource Saginaw for their vital role in her recovery. “When I got here, I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t straighten my arms or legs.”

Before Connie arrived at HealthSource and for the first several months after her accident, she endured a series of complications not uncommon with the severity of her injuries. She was not responding to therapy and her muscles were contracting severely.

For nine months, Connie’s team of HealthSource Saginaw doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, and therapists worked with her, producing outstanding results. “Almost immediately upon arriving at HealthSource, Connie began responding to the team of people working with her,” Ron recalls. “She was soon able to lift her legs and by mid January was back in therapy.”

Connie explains that therapy was painful because of the severity of the muscle contractions throughout her body. “I didn’t want to do therapy and I really put up a fuss,” she admits. “I think I even swore at some of my therapists. Still, they persisted because they knew it was in my best interest. They wouldn’t take NO for an answer. They worked really hard with me. I’m so glad they kept at it because therapy was the best thing for me.”

Connie, who continues her care as an outpatient, can walk without assistance and, together with her therapists, has a goal to put her wheelchair away completely this year. She says, “I have a peach of a husband. I couldn’t have come home without him. And, I have nothing but the highest regard for HealthSource and the team of people here.”

Mental Health Heroes Helped Me Find Hope

“The mental health experts at HealthSource Saginaw are my heroes,” says a recent Behavioral Medicine Center patient. “The hope you all have given me is priceless. I’ll take it with me everywhere I go. The impact you’ve made in such a short time should not go unnoticed, and I wish I had more to give than a thank you! I’ll never forget this experience or the people.

‘To my psychiatrist, thank you for educating me in such a delicate way and managing to make me NOT feel crazy. You’ve equipped me with the tools to keep this process going after I leave.

‘To my mental health techs, you put a smile on my face just by walking in. You brighten ANY room. Thank you for making me feel so comfortable in a foreign place.

‘To my nurses, you are so kind, smart, motivating and beyond inspiring.”

A Silver Lining After Illness and Injury

Michael Gallagher of Saginaw is remarkably upbeat about — what he calls — his two “speed bumps” and the “souvenirs” they’ve left behind in his life. The first was a life-threatening stroke in 2009 that left him partially paralyzed on his left side. The second was a broken hip just a few years later — the result of tripping on stairs in his garage.

Both brought him to HealthSource Saginaw for acute inpatient rehabilitation, where Michael discovered top-notch, creative, compassionate care. Both introduced him to people he would not otherwise have met — professionals he cherishes as people and experts he credits with producing his outstanding recovery outcomes.

Michael’s journey to recovery at HealthSource began after his stroke. He had collapsed in the parking lot of his gym. The brain bleed he suffered created a clot the size of a softball. “I wasn’t supposed to make it,” Michael explains. “It was so severe.”

But he DID make it. After two weeks in a neuro intensive care unit, Michael was discharged with a recommendation for one of two reputable inpatient rehabilitation facilities — one on the other side of the state, the other right in his own backyard…HealthSource Saginaw. Michael’s family chose HealthSource because it came so highly recommended and was so much closer for family and friends to visit.

At HealthSource, he worked with speech-language pathologists for speaking and cognitive issues. He worked with physical therapists who got him up and walking. Occupational therapists helped him relearn the activities of daily living with one hand.

“My therapists told me it wouldn’t be easy,” he remembers. “They said it would be one of the hardest things I would ever do. But these people were so motivational, encouraging, and creative. They continuously thought outside the box to personalize therapy for me. I saw them going above and beyond, and I really WANTED to do my part by working hard.”

Opening a jar of peanut butter became a milestone worth celebrating! Walking, despite a small foot drag, made Michael feel like he wasn’t disabled….just different. He calls his differences “souvenirs,” insisting that “life happens.”

HealthSource experts saw him through some dark times too. “I don’t remember much about the beginning of my stay, but my family says I was difficult and grumpy. Nights were hard for me. Yet the staff remained kind and compassionate because they knew it was the stroke talking. I will never forget Lori, my occupational therapist, starting my day by saying, ‘Okay mister, it’s time to get up!’ Her angelic voice made me know I had made it through another night with renewed motivation to face the new day!”

“Life happened” again a few years later when Michael tripped on the stairs in his garage and broke his hip. This time, he knew so well the caliber of the staff and facilities at HealthSource and went directly there for inpatient rehabilitation.

“It’s just such a pleasant atmosphere to be in when recovering,” he says. “The therapy area is open, warm, and bright. The attitude, dedication, and longevity of the therapists says a lot about the HealthSource team. Most have been there a long time. They all support each other. The teamwork is incredible.”

Michael considers it a blessing and privilege to be a HealthSource patient — both inpatient and outpatient. “They got me through my second speed bump, just like the first one,” he says. “When you go through therapy several times a week, these people become more than just therapists — they become your friends. You really get to know each other as people. You know about each other’s family stories.”

Rita, Katie, Mat, Julie, Lori C., Jodie C., Tiffany, Jenny, and others — these are the smart, kind, creative people he credits with his outstanding outcomes. He also praises Dr. Duffy, the medical director of the program. “Both times I was at HealthSource, he was available whenever I needed him, even in the middle of the night.”

The amazing HealthSource experience starts with the top executives and expands out to the therapists, nursing staff, and food service, Michael says. “HealthSource has the facility, the people, the tools to help us get better. And it’s right here in our own backyard. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Play With Purpose Helps Teens in Crisis

Sarah B, CTRS, works with children and adolescents every day at HealthSource Saginaw’s Behavioral Medicine Center. Her patients are in crisis — the kind that can’t be measured or quantified with a medical test. They are often completely closed off. Sarah’s job is to motivate them somehow to learn and practice skills for coping with emotional issues so they can function more fully when they leave inpatient treatment.

“Some people think we just play with the kids,” Sarah explains. “But everything has a purpose.”

Art projects, therapy dogs, exercise classes, games, and journaling are just a few of the activities HealthSource recreational therapists employ with their patients to build self-esteem and help kids cope, find emotional outlets and expression, and communicate more effectively.

“Everything we do sets them up so they can be successful when they leave us,” Sarah explains.

Stress is a common denominator for most patients and many who come to HealthSource have poor coping skills or inadequate support mechanisms. “All of us have stress,” Sarah admits, “but I am often working with patients who really struggle to deal with it and may face additional issues like abuse, trauma, or medication problems. We’re dealing with the acute of the acute here.”

Adult patients participate in recreational therapy as well. “Often, patients are depressed and just want to stay in bed,” Sarah explains. “Activities help motivate them to get up and get going. That’s a success in my book. Once we get them participating, they practice or even re-learn communication and social skills that are so critical once they are discharged. Everyone expresses themselves a little differently, so our activities provide a wide variety of outlets.”

Therapy dogs are particularly popular with adolescents and kids. “Kids are often very closed off and don’t talk much at first when they come here,” Sarah explains. “The dogs really bring them out of their shell.”

Recreational therapists at HealthSource are part of a multidisciplinary team of professionals caring for psychiatric patients that includes doctors, nurses, mental health techs, and case managers. “All of us are doing patient assessments within our particular area of expertise to help create a plan of care that brings each person the best possible treatment and outcome,” Sarah says.

Worth the Drive From Frankenmuth

For Robert and Jill Loftus of Frankenmuth, the drive to HealthSource Saginaw in Saginaw Township for outpatient therapy is well worth the gas and wear and tear on their vehicle. Robert had a very successful stay here in acute inpatient rehabilitation after his second stroke. Outpatient therapy has helped him gain back even more use of his right side.

“We’re driving a looong way,” admits Jill, director of patient care at St. Mary’s of Michigan. “It’s because they know Bob. The therapists are kind, considerate, and really know their mojo. They evaluate, re-evaluate, and never accept the status quo. He just gets better and better with the goals they set for him. It’s more than a facility…it’s a comprehensive program. They REALLY know their rehab.”

Robert and Jill met years ago at SVSU, where he was playing football on an athletic scholarship and she was attending nursing school. Having been athletic all his life, Bob was concerned last December when his right hand felt like it was falling asleep. His right foot didn’t feel right on the gas pedal of his car either. Knowing now he should have called 9-1-1 immediately, he instead drove himself to the hospital emergency department where he had to be helped out of the car. A quick CT scan revealed that Robert had suffered a stroke. He was treated immediately with clot busting drugs that relieved his symptoms right away.

“I was feeling pretty good by Christmas time,” he remembers. “Good enough that Jill went to Florida with our daughter over New Years.”

But just a few days after Jill returned home, Robert woke up in the night with that same sensation in his hand signaling another stroke. The clot busting drug didn’t produce the same results this time, leaving Robert with some significant weakness in his right side. Diagnostics also revealed a heart defect that had gone undetected up until then.

After a five-day stay at St. Mary’s of Michigan, Robert came to HealthSource for two weeks of acute inpatient rehabilitation. A brief furlo to Henry Ford Hospital allowed physicians to repair his heart. “I really appreciate the people at HealthSource so much,” Jill says. “Everybody worked together so seamlessly to get Bob the care he needed.”

She describes the inpatient rehabilitation atmosphere as “beautiful.”

“Plasma TVs, private bathrooms, bright and cheery rooms, everything is clean — it’s beautiful,” she says. “Nurses and therapists are kind and very attentive to detail. They REALLY know their rehab. They like to see success. That really energizes patients.”

Jill has always known about HealthSource because of her role in patient care at St. Mary’s. “I wouldn’t have let Bob go there if I didn’t think it was great…but I didn’t fully appreciate what a diamond it is until I experienced it personally as a family member,” she says. “HealthSource is more than a facility, it’s a comprehensive program, individualized for each patient.”

Prior to going home, Robert and Jill stayed in the “Home Room,” an apartment-style room in the Beach Neighborhood that allows patients and family members to “practice” the activities of daily living before actually going home.

“How cool is it that you can stay in the apartment to make sure you can function safely when you get home?” Jill asks. “That was a really great incentive for us. Bob worked hard to get to the point where he could stay in the Home Room.”

Now home, Robert continues his rehabilitation as an outpatient, making the drive from Frankenmuth each time. “I really look forward to coming to HealthSource,” he says. “I have made so much progress. I’ve gone from a wheelchair to a walker to a cane,” he explains. “Initially, I couldn’t write. I own my own business and I couldn’t even sign checks. Now I can. I appreciate these people so much!”

Progress is something Robert witnesses regularly in the therapy gym. “The team of therapists at HealthSource is so good at instilling patients with the belief that they CAN improve. I’ve watched so many people get better at HealthSource.”

Big and Little Things Stand Out for Brain Surgery Patient

When Joni Buss of Birch Run had two of three brain tumors surgically removed, she suffered some unexpected, but not uncommon results. “I woke up from surgery and couldn’t move one of my legs at all,” she remembers. “The doctor explained that it might take time and therapy to regain use of my leg. He strongly recommended HealthSource for acute inpatient rehabilitation.”

What Joni found at HealthSource were outstanding facilities and therapists. The big things? She was standing within two days of arriving and walking (and running a little) with a brace by the time she was discharged. With outpatient therapy, she made even more progress and only has minor foot and ankle issues. “It was unbelievable. Everything else came back,” she says.

“The therapy was hard but awesome. They push you to your limits but are nice about it. They checked everything constantly and really pushed me to succeed. These people have become my friends — not just my therapists.”

The little things mattered a lot to Joni as well. “When I arrived at HealthSource, I hadn’t taken a shower or bathed in a long time,” she remembers. “Within an hour, I was clean. It felt so good. Everybody was instantly so friendly and helpful. It felt like home.”

Initially, Joni didn’t think she would be able to go to HealthSource. Joni offers one bit of advice to others who might need acute inpatient rehabilitation. “Be sure to ask about your choices,” she says. “Sometimes your medical insurance dictates where you go. That was my case. HealthSource was very flexible about working with my insurance company. It was so worth the effort. My experience was so good, I wouldn’t go anywhere else now.”