Courtney's story
Courtney Bowie, known to her friends as Court, is a 52-year-old environmental policy lawyer with a passion for running, hiking and the arts. She had just completed a 10K and seemed to be in great health, with the exception of migraines.
Not long after the run, Courtney’s active life took an unexpected turn when she suffered a right hemispheric stroke. “I had a migraine for two weeks, but I’ve had migraines for 20 years,” recalled Courtney. “It was hard for me to distinguish a migraine from a stroke. So, I went to sleep and it turned out it was a stroke. Other than that, I thought everything was going well; I had a really good run in the 10K.”
When Courtney didn’t show up for work, concerned colleagues reached out to her twin sister, Brooke, who asked police to do a safety check. When police found Courtney, they called EMS and she was taken to Jersey City Medical Center, where she underwent a right thrombectomy to remove a blood clot from her brain. She was hospitalized for nearly a month.
The stroke left Courtney with significant impairments, particularly on the left side of her body. This affected her ability to walk, perform daily tasks and even swallow normally. To complicate matters, Courtney had poor insight into deficits, so she was in danger of falling and other safety risks. Following her initial hospitalization, she was in need of intense rehabilitation to strengthen her body and relearn the physical and cognitive skills lost to the stroke. Brooke chose Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation - West Orange for Courtney’s rehabilitation because of its reputation in neurological rehabilitation.
Courtney’s rehabilitation journey at Kessler lasted over three months and included a discharge back to the hospital to have a scheduled cranioplasty, a skull repair. Her physician-led team of therapists began with a focus on regaining strength, mobility and independence so she could meet her goals, which were to walk, care for herself and return to work.
Courtney experienced weakness in her legs and had a difficult time with sensation and proprioception, which is knowing where your body is in space. Her physical therapy sessions included neuromuscular electric stimulation to aid motor control and high-intensity gait training with a LiteGait harness system, which helped Courtney progress to walking with a cane. Being able to walk and go up and down stairs was a highlight in her recovery.
Occupational therapy addressed Courtney’s ability to perform daily tasks, focusing on her left upper body. She benefited from using adaptive techniques to help maximize her abilities. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation was utilized to help strengthen her left shoulder, which would dislocate due to weakened muscles, causing pain. Her occupational therapist also used prism therapy, a type of visual therapy, for left-side special neglect.
Speech therapy was crucial in addressing Courtney’s swallowing difficulties and cognitive challenges. Through targeted exercises and cognitive therapy, Courtney improved her attention, memory and ability to self-monitor. "When I was able to swallow normally again, people were congratulating me, it felt nice," she reflected.
Beyond traditional therapies, Courtney participated in recreational therapy and was closely followed by vocational rehab to facilitate her eventual return to work. Group therapy, particularly the stroke survivor’s groups, played a significant role in her emotional recovery. "Hearing the stories of other people really resonated with me and let me know that I wasn’t alone," she shared, emphasizing the importance of community and support during her rehabilitation.
Courtney found the support of her family and friends to be an important part of her recovery. Brooke and one of her good friends were trained by her therapists to assist with her care, ensuring a smooth transition home. "Just by being supportive and coming to visit, they were tremendously helpful," Courtney said.
As Courtney prepared for discharge, she looked forward to reuniting with her loved ones and returning to familiar surroundings. "I’m looking forward to being home, but I’m going to miss the people here," she said, expressing gratitude for the care and progress she made at Kessler.
After everything that she has been through, Courtney feels a renewed appreciation for her support network and the progress she’s made. "I have a tremendous support group. I didn’t realize how amazing my friends were." she said. “I’m really excited about the progress that I’ve made.”
Not long after the run, Courtney’s active life took an unexpected turn when she suffered a right hemispheric stroke. “I had a migraine for two weeks, but I’ve had migraines for 20 years,” recalled Courtney. “It was hard for me to distinguish a migraine from a stroke. So, I went to sleep and it turned out it was a stroke. Other than that, I thought everything was going well; I had a really good run in the 10K.”
When Courtney didn’t show up for work, concerned colleagues reached out to her twin sister, Brooke, who asked police to do a safety check. When police found Courtney, they called EMS and she was taken to Jersey City Medical Center, where she underwent a right thrombectomy to remove a blood clot from her brain. She was hospitalized for nearly a month.
The stroke left Courtney with significant impairments, particularly on the left side of her body. This affected her ability to walk, perform daily tasks and even swallow normally. To complicate matters, Courtney had poor insight into deficits, so she was in danger of falling and other safety risks. Following her initial hospitalization, she was in need of intense rehabilitation to strengthen her body and relearn the physical and cognitive skills lost to the stroke. Brooke chose Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation - West Orange for Courtney’s rehabilitation because of its reputation in neurological rehabilitation.
Courtney’s rehabilitation journey at Kessler lasted over three months and included a discharge back to the hospital to have a scheduled cranioplasty, a skull repair. Her physician-led team of therapists began with a focus on regaining strength, mobility and independence so she could meet her goals, which were to walk, care for herself and return to work.
Courtney experienced weakness in her legs and had a difficult time with sensation and proprioception, which is knowing where your body is in space. Her physical therapy sessions included neuromuscular electric stimulation to aid motor control and high-intensity gait training with a LiteGait harness system, which helped Courtney progress to walking with a cane. Being able to walk and go up and down stairs was a highlight in her recovery.
Occupational therapy addressed Courtney’s ability to perform daily tasks, focusing on her left upper body. She benefited from using adaptive techniques to help maximize her abilities. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation was utilized to help strengthen her left shoulder, which would dislocate due to weakened muscles, causing pain. Her occupational therapist also used prism therapy, a type of visual therapy, for left-side special neglect.
Speech therapy was crucial in addressing Courtney’s swallowing difficulties and cognitive challenges. Through targeted exercises and cognitive therapy, Courtney improved her attention, memory and ability to self-monitor. "When I was able to swallow normally again, people were congratulating me, it felt nice," she reflected.
Beyond traditional therapies, Courtney participated in recreational therapy and was closely followed by vocational rehab to facilitate her eventual return to work. Group therapy, particularly the stroke survivor’s groups, played a significant role in her emotional recovery. "Hearing the stories of other people really resonated with me and let me know that I wasn’t alone," she shared, emphasizing the importance of community and support during her rehabilitation.
Courtney found the support of her family and friends to be an important part of her recovery. Brooke and one of her good friends were trained by her therapists to assist with her care, ensuring a smooth transition home. "Just by being supportive and coming to visit, they were tremendously helpful," Courtney said.
As Courtney prepared for discharge, she looked forward to reuniting with her loved ones and returning to familiar surroundings. "I’m looking forward to being home, but I’m going to miss the people here," she said, expressing gratitude for the care and progress she made at Kessler.
After everything that she has been through, Courtney feels a renewed appreciation for her support network and the progress she’s made. "I have a tremendous support group. I didn’t realize how amazing my friends were." she said. “I’m really excited about the progress that I’ve made.”