Elizabeth filled her busy days as a marketing professional, runner, violinist and traveler. She never considered a stroke would disrupt her life. But at age 40, Elizabeth experienced the unexpected: the physical and psychological impact of a stroke caused by a vertebral artery dissection.
With determination and hard work, coupled with the expertise and support from GSPP Rehabilitation’s teams, Elizabeth made a full recovery from the shocking and serious health issue. It also led Elizabeth on an unexpectedly profound personal journey.
Stroke recovery journey
When Elizabeth woke up one morning at 4 a.m. with intense vertigo, she knew something was wrong. After calling 911, she arrived at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia with extreme dizziness, head and neck pain, poor balance and impaired eye tracking.
To continue her recovery after being stabilized at Pennsylvania Hospital, Elizabeth took the advice of her physicians and sister (a physical therapist) and entered Penn Medicine Rehabilitation, an inpatient rehabilitation unit of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania that is managed by GSPP Rehabilitation.
The stroke left her extremely disoriented and destabilized. She wondered if she would ever be able to return to a life she recognized as her own. At Penn Medicine Rehabilitation, she immediately felt comforted and started to regain optimism.
“My life path was irreversibly altered as a result of the stroke.”
Elizabeth
“The unparalleled care and expertise of the physical, occupational and speech therapists and the doctor and nurses changed my trajectory in just two weeks,” Elizabeth said. “They gave me the confidence and tools I needed to get back to my independent lifestyle. On my last day in inpatient rehabilitation, I even ran a few feet with my (physical therapist). It may seem minor, but it was the hope I needed to keep going.”
With renewed courage, Elizabeth returned home and transitioned to three months of outpatient rehabilitation at Penn Medicine | Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Outpatient Therapy, a service of GSPP Rehabilitation. She also worked with a Penn Medicine therapist on the crippling anxiety and fear she was experiencing. Following outpatient, Elizabeth continued with exercises in her home for the next nine months.
“Today, I am 99 percent back to normal,” Elizabeth said. “The only time I experience symptoms is when I am overly tired. I am also very excited to be back to running every day, solo traveling abroad and playing the violin professionally.”
A new personal journey
Elizabeth’s year-long recovery from stroke was a challenging time in her life, and the teams at GSPP Rehabilitation took it seriously. They made it fun, too. She called her care team “warm, kind, thorough, holistic and attentive” and highly recommends them.
“The team helped me take something that could have been life-ending and turned it into a profound turning point,” Elizabeth said. “The experience changed more than my physical abilities. It gave me an entirely new perspective on life and the opportunity to sharpen my values and live more intentionally.”
Elizabeth is taking a restful intermission from work and is focused on building a life filled with more joy and delight. She is devoting more time to playing music, building a strong community, staying active, seeking culinary adventures and working on a few creative projects. She recently took a six-week solo trip to Europe. She also is spending more time with cherished family and friends.
“My life path was irreversibly altered as a result of the stroke,” Elizabeth said. “The GSPP team was the absolute best – they saved my life and I am forever grateful for the care, kindness and love they extended to me during such a critical part of my healing journey.”
