Angela's Story
Angela Watson, a 44-year-old casino poker dealer, enjoys spending time with her son, Alex, with whom she shares a love of music. While returning home from visiting her cousin in the hospital, Angela stepped inside and promptly collapsed. She suffered a life-changing stroke.
She only remembers attempting to call 911 after that. Later, Angela learned that a maintenance worker, checking for flooding in her building, found her and called for an ambulance. Angela was rushed to Trinity Health Livonia, where doctors quickly determined that she had suffered an acute right MCA ischemic stroke with a blockage in her right internal carotid artery. She was transferred to Trinity Health Oakland for emergency surgery. Due to dangerous swelling in her brain, Angela underwent a hemicraniectomy, a procedure that removed part of her skull to relieve pressure. She was also placed on a ventilator to aid in breathing.
The stroke left Angela unable to move her legs, speak or eat. After 11 days at Trinity Health Oakland, Angela stabilized and transferred to another facility, but then her doctors recommended Angela transfer again to Select Specialty Hospital – Oakland, located within Trinity Health.
Angela’s primary goal—shared by her son—was to regain her independence. When she first arrived, she couldn’t imagine reaching that point, but her interdisciplinary care team quickly got to work, developing personalized treatment plan that would help her get off the ventilator, start eating again and regain the strength to move her body and care for herself.
Her respiratory therapy included spontaneous breathing trials, a protocol where Angela was gradually coached to breathe on her own for increasing periods while still being monitored. In time, Angela came off the machine entirely. This was a major turning point in her recovery.
Speech therapy played a crucial role in helping Angela regain her ability to eat and drink safely. They started small with ice chips then moved to pureed foods, such as oatmeal, then thinner liquids like soup broth before introducing chopped foods. Angela was surprised by how much effort chewing required after weeks without eating.
Physical therapy was essential in rebuilding Angela’s strength. At first, she participated in passive range-of-motion exercises, where therapists helped move her limbs to prevent stiffness and maintain circulation. As she improved, Angela worked on sitting balance exercises and self-care activities. By the end of her stay, Angela was capable of feeding herself and washing her face and upper body.
With the support of her son and friends, Angela made remarkable progress. She credits her rehab team for guiding her through the toughest moments, even when therapy was challenging. She describes her experience at Select Specialty Hospital - Oakland as insightful, helpful, and caring, particularly noting the dedication of the case management team.
One month after arriving at Select Specialty Hospital, Angela was able to breathe on her own and eat solid foods; she was also beginning to care for herself again. Angela was ready to discharge to a rehabilitation facility to continue growing stronger, one step closer to sleeping in her own bed, reuniting with her beloved cat, and spending time with Alex.