A Rehabilitation Patient's Story

Al Carson was driving to work on March 4, 2007, when he felt a tingling in his cheek. As he began to lose sensation in his body, he had to pull over at a convenience store. Carson fell getting out of his car, and attendants rushed to call 911.

Carson was taken to Durham Regional Hospital’s Emergency Department where he was treated for a stroke. The stroke left him paralyzed on the entire right side of his body. Carson was admitted to Durham Regional and then moved to the rehabilitation unit.

He and his rehabilitation team were not sure he would ever walk again, but he says the wonderful treatment he received changed his life.

“If it were up to me, I wouldn’t have pushed as hard during rehab,” says Carson. “They told me how to do things, then they showed me how to do things, and then they made me do things.”

The therapists challenged him early in his treatment and used various exercises to help him stand, including using a tilt table that helped to tilt him into a standing position.

“When Mr. Carson was first admitted, there were many obstacles to keep him from being discharged,” says Kim Dao, physical therapist. “Rehabilitation goals were basic--for him to be able to go home, probably with the help of a lift transfer device to maximize safety--and there was a strong chance he would be confined to a wheelchair.”

However, within the first week of therapy, Carson had progressed to not only standing in the parallel bars with one person, but to walking down the parallel bars and then racing down the hallway with just a rail and a physical therapist.

Within another week, he was comfortable moving with a wide-based cane, a foot and ankle device that aids in walking and someone to help him keep his balance and advance his right side. “His progress was sufficient enough that we had to keep changing goals for him on a weekly basis,” says Dao.

The rehabilitation team credits Carson for his great recovery. “He prevailed with a wonderful attitude toward therapy, always motivated and determined. He continued writing columns for the Oxford Public Ledger where he is the editor, and his wife, Betsy was always by his side with the right ratio of caring and pushing to continually get stronger,” says Angie Webb, occupational therapist.

Carson, who is now progressing well at home, says the care team motivated him and “turned something horrible into a beautiful outcome.”

Carson looks forward to his out-patient therapy appointments. “It’s amazing how much they can do for you,” he said. The other day he walked 270 feet with a cane. With the help from the therapists, Carson is reaching his goals. He regains feeling in his right hand at times, can go from sitting to standing four out of five times and walks further distances all the time.

The Carson’s say that due to the care and training they received on the rehab unit, they felt comfortable and prepared going home after the stroke. They knew what exercises to work on and what to do if he fell or other situations if they occurred.

Carson’s rehabilitation care team included physicians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists, recreation therapists, RNs, CNAs, neuropsychologists and dietitians. The Carson’s want to especially thank: Sue Bell, physician assistant; Kim Dao, physical therapist; Amanda Panning, speech therapist; Raphael Orenstein, MD; and Angie Webb, occupational therapist.

“We never felt anything other than cherished by this loving and caring team. This has been a life altering experience -- not just the stroke but the people we met have changed our lives,” says Betsy Carson.