Sixty-year-old John Portwood is a mason from Danville, Indiana, who enjoys playing the guitar in his free time. While on the first day of a new travel job west of St. Louis, Missouri, he noticed something was wrong when his balance was off. He went to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with a stroke.

Following his initial treatment, John chose Bloomington Regional Rehabilitation Hospital (BRRH) for specialized rehabilitative care. The hospital came highly recommended by others and was conveniently located near his home.

When John arrived at BRRH, his primary goals were to walk better and regain motor skills on his left side. He worked closely with the hospital’s interdisciplinary healthcare team that developed a personalized treatment plan for him that included physical, occupational, and speech therapy.

Over his 22-day stay, John actively participated in all three therapies. Physical therapy focused on helping him regain strength, balance, and his ability to walk. Occupational therapy supported his ability to relearn daily tasks, focused on daily medication processes, and improved his left-side body coordination and awareness. Speech therapy addressed cognitive retraining, communication, oral-motor strategies, and executive function tasks.

John remains focused on continuing his recovery. His current goals include walking 15 feet, improving left-side motor control, maintaining better balance, and taking his medications consistently to support long-term progress.