Melissa's story

Melissa Dolan smiles in her rehabilitation bed.

Melissa Dolan was on a family outing at a restaurant and realized she couldn’t read the menu. She promptly visited her eye doctor who advised her to immediately head to the closest hospital for further evaluation. There, doctors diagnosed a brain aneurysm -- an artery that twists or breaks, causing bleeding.

Melissa underwent surgery where doctors addressed the aneurysm, but during the surgery, she also experienced bleeding on the right side of her brain due to a blood clot in that area discovered during the surgery. Melissa awoke from a successful surgery but as a result of her issues, her left side was weak and she experienced continued vision problems, difficulty walking and challenges with her left hand coordination and strength.

Melissa's new medical challenges were compounded by her pre-existing right-sided weakness, a lasting effect from a prior accident.

Two weeks after surgery, Melissa was ready to tackle these challenges in an inpatient rehabilitation hospital. Her husband, Ron, researched options and choose Penn State Health Rehabilitation Hospital based on positive reviews and recommendations. Melissa admitted with clear goals for her future – to walk, drive and resume work as a home care nurse.

The physician-led interdisciplinary team evaluated Melissa and developed a personalized care plan.

Physical therapy (PT) got to work on her left-sided weakness. Using parallel bars for support, Melissa gained strength and confidence in taking steps and after a few days, advanced to using a hemiwalker – a special walker designed for individuals with the use of only one hand. At that point, PT engaged Melissa in standing balance activities such as alternating and lifting her leg to tap a cone and walking with a cane as she gained strength and coordination.

In occupational therapy (OT), Melissa participated in eight sessions of Kessler Foundation Prism Adaptation Treatment (KF-PAT) to address her left-sided spatial awareness challenges. After a stroke, the brain may only process objects on one side of a patient’s body. For instance, if asked to draw a house, the patient may only draw half a house. KF-PAT uses specialized goggles equipped with optical prisms helping connect what the patient sees with what the brain processes in order to overcome those deficits. After completing her KF-PAT sessions, Melissa’s spatial neglect measurably improved, allowing her brain to process her surroundings more completely. OT also employed advanced technology, the ArmeoSpring. The robotic arm supports a patient’s arm movement while they engage in interactive games designed for therapy. This strengthened Melissa’s left arm and improved her coordination and range of motion.

Family support proved instrumental. Ron actively participated in the hospital’s Care Partner Program, readying him to help when Melissa returned home. Melissa’s daughter, a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA), reinforced her mom’s therapy gains and motivated her to fully engage in recovery efforts.

In addition to PT and OT, Melissa participated in speech therapy; the weakness on her left side impacted her ability to close her mouth completely and swallow effectively. Her speech language pathologist (SLP) taught Melissa safe swallowing strategies -- sitting up straight to eat and drink and taking small sips and bites. With practice, Melissa gained confidence and was soon eating a greater variety of foods. SLPs also wove in cognitive therapy sessions where Melissa would organize items and develop and follow a schedule. These activities built Melissa’s overall cognitive awareness and focus -- important skills which would help her reach her long-term goals of driving and returning to work.

After 14 days in rehabilitation, Melissa could walk 350 feet with a cane. She was also eating, dressing, showering and toileting on her own and her left side was stronger. Melissa was ready to return home with Ron, where she looked forward to the simple comfort of showering in her own bathroom and continuing her recovery with outpatient therapy. Melissa said she learned lot in rehabilitation, "I can do more than I thought I could do."