Sean's story
History buff Sean Cestone enjoys relaxing in his recliner after a long day of work moving and packing pallets at the grocery distribution center. One evening, the 51-year old knew something was wrong. His vision was blurry and he had trouble getting up from the recliner. He called his wife, Crystal, who dialed 911.
Medics whisked Sean to nearby Harrisburg Hospital where physicians diagnosed him with a stroke and put him on a course of medication to reduce the risk of further strokes. After two days, Sean was ready to transfer to another level of care.
“I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t keep my balance, I had very little control over my right arm and I couldn’t really grab or pick up things with my right hand,” Sean explained.
With a goal of walking and ultimately regaining his independence, Sean followed his doctors’ recommendation to continue his recovery at an inpatient rehabilitation hospital. He and Crystal had heard a lot of good feedback on and opted for Helen M. Simpson Rehabilitation Hospital. “Everyone said it was the best,” Sean shared.
Upon admission, Sean’s physician-led care team of physical (PT) and occupational (OT) therapists assessed him and mapped a care plan to help him recover balance, mobility and function in his right arm.
PT kicked off Sean’s rehabilitation by introducing him to a one-sided walker, or hemiwalker. The device supported his weaker right side while he did repetitive sit to stand exercises. It helped strengthen his hip and knee muscles and prepared him for his next step – walking with a four-pointed cane. The cane steadied him while he trekked across uneven surfaces from tile, to carpet, to a ramped sidewalk. Ready for a solo walk that tested his balance, Sean clipped into a harness that attached to an overhead ceiling track. The device allowed Sean to walk around the gym balancing himself and held him upright, if he faltered. Sean did this exercise regularly, gaining strength and becoming more confident in his ability to walk. After a few days, he progressed to walking independently. PT outfitted Sean with an ankle foot orthosis (AFO), a supportive device for the ankle and foot which helps improve balance and reduce the risk of falling.
Motivated by his progress, Sean pushed himself in OT to regain awareness, use and control of his right arm. The stroke jumbled his sense for both his arm’s position and its movement. Called proprioception, it’s a common condition that results from a stroke. Sean tackled this condition by lifting weights with both arms in coordinated moves in front of a mirror, as mapped out by his therapist. The exercises increased his muscle strength and helped his brain connect to the activity he watched in the mirror. Slowly, he increased his awareness for the right side of his body. Sean stepped up his program too, challenging his right hand by working with lock and key activities and nuts and bolts boards. The tasks were difficult, but with repetition, he successfully inserted keys into locks and threaded nuts onto bolts with his right hand.
“A lot of things as it pertained to my arm and hand seemed particularly difficult for me, but totally worth it. They always gave me something to work for, and I think they understood that I was willing work for it and work hard for it,” Sean said.
Crystal was there cheering him on through every challenge and success. “My wife has been very involved and she has kept my spirits up,” Sean said. “It’s easy to get down or depressed or upset, but that’s not really going to take you anywhere. You’ve got to work hard and stay positive to drive yourself and set goals for yourself.”
After nine days of hard work, Sean was independently walking for eight minutes at a time and using his right arm and hand effectively to manage tasks such as opening and closing cabinets and lifting and grasping household objects such as plates, cooking utensils and pans. He was ready to return home to Crystal.
Once at home, Seam looks forward to reading history books in his recliner. He also plans to continue building strength with outpatient therapy.
Regarding his time at Helen M. Simpson Rehabilitation Hospital, Sean said, “They helped me not only physically rebuild my capabilities and help with balance, but also the attitude was very positive, very constructive. The experience? It was exceptional. You guys were great.”