Steffany’s story: Finding Purpose in Rehabilitation

Steffany Quintana, 24, was an active college student, busily studying for finals and the LSAT for law school admission.

“I was living a completely normal life. I worked full time, went to school full time and was always on the go,” she said.

When she began feeling sick on April 18, she wasn’t overly concerned and attributed it to anxiety, as she had occasional panic attacks during times of stress at school. When she started to lose strength on her left side, her boyfriend encouraged her to call 911, but she still believed it to be a panic attack. Then, she began vomiting. “All I tasted was iron,” she said. After he helped her to the bed to lie down, Steffany’s left arm began to contract, and she could no longer control her left hand. It was then that her boyfriend insisted she call the paramedics.

By the time she arrived at a local acute care hospital, doctors told Steffany’s family she had experienced a stroke. Though the bleeding had stopped, she still had a large amount of swelling in her brain that was leaving her unable to walk, talk or swallow on her own. After seven days in the ICU, Quintana was deemed medically stable enough to be transferred to Encompass Heath Rehabilitation Hospital to begin her recovery.

Though she was determined to progress as much—and as quickly—as possible, Quintana soon found that her stroke had also caused her to lose her ability to control her emotions. “The first day I came in, someone in the gym was ringing the bell,” she said. “I broke down crying. The director of therapy told me that would be me soon.”

Steffany’s used the AutoAmbulator®, a treadmill-like device that allowed her to get in a standing position in a harness. Robotics assist the patient’s legs, simulating walking. Though she was skeptical of the equipment at first, she admits, soon she realized its purpose. “My therapist kept repeating ‘Heel, toe’ to remind me how to move my feet,” Steffany said. “As time progressed, I noticed I was doing it on my own.”

Occupational therapy helped her regain fine motor skills and prepared her to walk with a backpack for when she returned to school. Regaining her ability to swallow—Steffany’s most important goal—was celebrated with Coke, her favorite beverage.

Steffany’s team knew when to push her and when to comfort her and showed her that she was capable of doing more than she thought. Most importantly, her team taught her to be patient with herself and trust the plan put in place for her.

“In the first two or three days, I was thinking, ‘Why am I here, this isn’t going to work,’” Steffany said. “It did. I definitely came out stronger.”