Tiffany's story
Tiffany Shorter, 43, lived an active life. She had plenty of hobbies like cooking and writing. Plus, she was very busy as a payroll accountant for the TV and film industry. But one day her head started to throb.
It was no ordinary headache, and it turned her world upside down.
“I felt like I had a very, very bad headache,” recalled Tiffany. “I picked up the Tylenol and a bottle of water, and I couldn’t hold it in my hand.” Luckily, her aunt came in the room and immediately called an ambulance.
Tiffany had suffered a stroke and was rushed to Overlook Hospital where doctors performed an emergency hemicraniectomy. Hemicraniectomy is a surgical procedure where a large flap of the skull is removed and the dura - the outermost membrane enveloping the brain – is opened. This procedure gives space for the swollen brain to bulge and reduces intracranial pressure. Her surgeons also removed a portion of her temporal lobe that was damaged.
Tiffany was in the hospital for over a month.
Once Tiffany was medically stable, she was in need of rehabilitation to regain her strength and skills to return home. She went to Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation (KIR) - West Orange for the next step in her recovery.
On admission, Tiffany faced numerous challenges. She required total assistance with daily tasks due to a lack of strength in her left arm and leg and experienced severe pain and sensitivity. She also struggled with left side spatial neglect, meaning that she couldn’t process things on her left side, and had a wound on her heel that wasn’t healing and prohibited her participation in therapies. Despite these obstacles, Tiffany set a goal: “To get stronger so I could walk.”
Tiffany’s physician-led rehabilitation team created a care plan that included therapies such as physical, occupational and speech therapies that would help Tiffany get back to the life she once knew.
Tiffany loves to cook, so her occupational therapy sessions involved cooking tasks to tap into her passion for food. These sessions allowed her to do something she enjoyed, but also improved her upper body mobility, planning and sequencing skills and fine motor skills. Her occupational therapists also worked with her using prisms to address the special neglect that she experienced. She wore special goggles with prism lenses to help direct her visual field towards the left. After 20 prism sessions, Tiffany’s neglect improved from severe to minimal.
Tiffany’s physical therapy sessions included advanced technologies. A harness system that supports the body’s weight was used so that she can focus on balance and technique while relearning to walk. A wearable robotic device that helped Tiffany to stand and move her legs was also used. Both helped Tiffany regain her ability to walk independently and resume normal walking patterns.
“The occupational and physical therapy [was] intense,” admitted Tiffany.
When she arrived at KIR – West Orange, Tiffany was too weak to eat or drink by mouth. A speech therapist worked with her to re-train and strengthen the muscles in her throat and mouth so that she could swallow safely. One technique used was neuromuscular electrical stimulation, a noninvasive treatment that uses a low-level electric current to improve swallowing. She able to start a modified diet with soft solids and thickened liquids. As she progressed, she completed a videofluoroscopic swallow study (X-Ray swallow test) and was upgraded to a regular diet.
Tiffany also learned about KIR - West Orange’s support group for stroke survivors and caregivers. Tiffany found the stroke support group to be very helpful in the emotional aspects of her journey.
“The stroke support group was amazing,” she said. “It allows you to let it out, because they experienced it too.” She also was involved in groups like the “Food for Thought” smoothie group which brought some fun and additional camaraderie to her rehabilitation experience.
Tiffany spent almost three months in KIR - West Orange and celebrated the small victories that marked her progress.
During this time, she progressed from needing full body support to take a single step to walking 220 feet, supported by a narrow based quad cane. She can independently use her wheelchair for household and community mobility and can complete a full flight of stairs with contact guard assistance and a single railing.
Throughout her stay, Tiffany found strength in her close-knit family, who provided support and participated in training for her return home. Her recovery plan included home health after discharge followed by outpatient therapy at KIR - West Orange.
Looking ahead, she shared, “I’m excited to relax – and get iced coffee!”
It was no ordinary headache, and it turned her world upside down.
“I felt like I had a very, very bad headache,” recalled Tiffany. “I picked up the Tylenol and a bottle of water, and I couldn’t hold it in my hand.” Luckily, her aunt came in the room and immediately called an ambulance.
Tiffany had suffered a stroke and was rushed to Overlook Hospital where doctors performed an emergency hemicraniectomy. Hemicraniectomy is a surgical procedure where a large flap of the skull is removed and the dura - the outermost membrane enveloping the brain – is opened. This procedure gives space for the swollen brain to bulge and reduces intracranial pressure. Her surgeons also removed a portion of her temporal lobe that was damaged.
Tiffany was in the hospital for over a month.
Once Tiffany was medically stable, she was in need of rehabilitation to regain her strength and skills to return home. She went to Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation (KIR) - West Orange for the next step in her recovery.
On admission, Tiffany faced numerous challenges. She required total assistance with daily tasks due to a lack of strength in her left arm and leg and experienced severe pain and sensitivity. She also struggled with left side spatial neglect, meaning that she couldn’t process things on her left side, and had a wound on her heel that wasn’t healing and prohibited her participation in therapies. Despite these obstacles, Tiffany set a goal: “To get stronger so I could walk.”
Tiffany’s physician-led rehabilitation team created a care plan that included therapies such as physical, occupational and speech therapies that would help Tiffany get back to the life she once knew.
Tiffany loves to cook, so her occupational therapy sessions involved cooking tasks to tap into her passion for food. These sessions allowed her to do something she enjoyed, but also improved her upper body mobility, planning and sequencing skills and fine motor skills. Her occupational therapists also worked with her using prisms to address the special neglect that she experienced. She wore special goggles with prism lenses to help direct her visual field towards the left. After 20 prism sessions, Tiffany’s neglect improved from severe to minimal.
Tiffany’s physical therapy sessions included advanced technologies. A harness system that supports the body’s weight was used so that she can focus on balance and technique while relearning to walk. A wearable robotic device that helped Tiffany to stand and move her legs was also used. Both helped Tiffany regain her ability to walk independently and resume normal walking patterns.
“The occupational and physical therapy [was] intense,” admitted Tiffany.
When she arrived at KIR – West Orange, Tiffany was too weak to eat or drink by mouth. A speech therapist worked with her to re-train and strengthen the muscles in her throat and mouth so that she could swallow safely. One technique used was neuromuscular electrical stimulation, a noninvasive treatment that uses a low-level electric current to improve swallowing. She able to start a modified diet with soft solids and thickened liquids. As she progressed, she completed a videofluoroscopic swallow study (X-Ray swallow test) and was upgraded to a regular diet.
Tiffany also learned about KIR - West Orange’s support group for stroke survivors and caregivers. Tiffany found the stroke support group to be very helpful in the emotional aspects of her journey.
“The stroke support group was amazing,” she said. “It allows you to let it out, because they experienced it too.” She also was involved in groups like the “Food for Thought” smoothie group which brought some fun and additional camaraderie to her rehabilitation experience.
Tiffany spent almost three months in KIR - West Orange and celebrated the small victories that marked her progress.
During this time, she progressed from needing full body support to take a single step to walking 220 feet, supported by a narrow based quad cane. She can independently use her wheelchair for household and community mobility and can complete a full flight of stairs with contact guard assistance and a single railing.
Throughout her stay, Tiffany found strength in her close-knit family, who provided support and participated in training for her return home. Her recovery plan included home health after discharge followed by outpatient therapy at KIR - West Orange.
Looking ahead, she shared, “I’m excited to relax – and get iced coffee!”