Last week we were finally discharged from the hospital and with that came the anxiety of leaving our hospital bubble. We were discharged on August 18th and spent the rest of the day running to every CVS and Walgreens in a 10 mile radius of our home. We spent the next three days getting settled in at our friends’ home (Thank you Brandon, Kara and baby Marianna). On Monday, Dennis started his outpatient therapy. His inpatient physical therapist recommended that Dennis continue his recovery at the Brooks Rehabilitation Neuro Recovery Center (NRC). We feel very comfortable at Brooks because they are very focused on the latest innovation in neuro-recovery. While Dennis was staying at the Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital his rehabilitation was focused on compensatory skills to make him safe and functional in a home environment, without much emphasis on improving the body’s ability to move. Brooks NRC focuses on neuroplasticity (the brain and spinal cord’s ability to change, adapt, and learn) which requires intense, task specific, repetitive activities to maximize movement and thinking skills. The highest potential for recovery is during the first 1-2 years after a spinal injury; however, most patients usually receive only 5-6 months of recovery activities due to insurance limitations. Brooks has customized a program for Dennis to his specific needs. Every Monday, Dennis will use the FES Bike. Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) applies small electrical pulses to paralyzed muscles to restore or improve their function and allows the muscles to work even if the patient has limited or no muscle control. Every Wednesday, Dennis will use the Body Weight Supported Treadmill. The treadmill partially unweights the body to improve the ability to ambulate. The treadmill will help the spinal cord neurons which have a capacity for learning or "memory" that is independent from the brain and can be used to improve walking ability in people with paralysis. Every Friday, Dennis will do aquatic therapy. This will help Dennis until he can tolerate land-based exercises. The warmth of the water helps relax muscles and improve circulation, and the buoyancy eliminates stress on the body. This will help Dennis work on increasing muscle strength, flexibility and range of motion. For the rest of the time, Brooks NRC will charge us a monthly fee that will allow us to continue Dennis’s recovery between and after traditional therapy. Dennis will be able to do circuit training exercises which are a combination of strength and balance exercises that lay the foundation for motor recovery.
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