High Hopes
J. Glen House, MD, medical director of the PenroseSally’s physical therapy took her from laying down to St. Francis Center for Neuro & Trauma Rehabilitation, sitting up, to standing, to walking, and even to climbing regularly visited Sally at a long-term care facility to stairs. She also started to regain mental abilities that were determine if she was stable and strong enough for rehab. lost after the fall. Finally, on May 14, Sally was transferred to the eighth One significant contributor to her success, Graef floor at Penrose Hospital. And for 2 1/2 months, she adds, was her parents’ involvement. Sally’s mother was followed an intensive rehab regimen — a minimum of with her during the day, and her father came to the three hours a day five days a week. She worked with hospital in the evenings. Her brother, Chris, visited, too. House as well as occupational, speech, and physical “We do think it helped,” Reg says. “We were lucky therapists and others to begin to rebuild her brain. that we could do that. Not everyone has that choice.” Conventional wisdom, House says, used to be that Sally’s determined, positive attitude was also essential, after a traumatic brain injury, you had to work with the Graef says. uninjured part of your brain to pick up functions. The “I’d never say, ‘I can’t do that.’ I’d do what they new way of thinking is that you can would tell me to do,” says Sally. “The retrain the damaged part, too. people at Penrose know what they’re “The people at Penrose “The brain has incredible capacity doing and what will help you. So you know what they’re to mold and change, but it doesn’t just just have to do it even if you don’t want do it automatically,” he explains. “In to or if it’s hard for you.” doing and what will the recovery process, there are parts of That work paid off. Last year, Sally, help you. So you just the brain that can take over functions now 26, put skis on for the first time have to do it even if you that they never did before.” since her accident. don’t want to or if it’s According to the Centers for Disease “That was great,” she says. “I crosshard for you.” Control and Prevention, there are more country skied on a flat surface.” than 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries She continues to struggle with — Sally Francklyn (TBIs) annually in the U.S. They are balance issues, something she says she most common among children ages 0 learned is common in people after a to 4, teens ages 15 to 19, and adults 65 and older. Falls traumatic brain injury. and car accidents are the most common causes of TBI, Today, she lives with a friend in Boulder and the CDC reports. Regardless of the cause or severity, volunteers for a ski company — happy to again be setting goals with a rehabilitation team is an important involved in the sport she loves so much. step in the recovery process. “This year, my goal is to downhill ski,” she says. Sally Sally’s physical therapist, Kathy Graef, PT, had high hopes to be able to take ski lessons and work toward hopes for Sally. When the team set goals for Sally’s that goal. rehab, she knew Sally’s age was a benefit — younger “That’s the only thing I want to have happen because brains are typically easier to re-form after trauma. I grew up skiing — and having that disappear from my “All brains have some level of neuroplasticity, which life is very challenging.” means they can rewire themselves, depending on what After a skiing accident, you do,” Graef notes. “Therapy’s job is to tease that out. Sally Francklyn was We’re trying to get the body to reroute those neurowires put back on the road to and learn a skill through a pathway that’s different than recovery at Penrose-St. the original pathway.” Francis Health Services.
Learn To Stop Falls and Prevent Brain Injuries One out of every three Americans over the age of 65 will fall this year, with many of those falls leading to severe injury, including traumatic brain injury. But falls can be prevented. Penrose-St. Francis Health Services offers two programs to help: Stepping On: A seven-week program covering topics including making your home safer and exercises to increase balance and strength. For more information, call 719-776-5926. Balance Program: A new program to screen a person’s balance and provide recommendations to help prevent falls. For more information, call 719-776-2107.
penrosestfrancis.org
Spring 2014
5
bloom
photos: Opposite page: ©IStockphoto.com/KristianSeptimiusKrogh; this page: Portrait ©Benjamin Rasmussen, ©IStockphoto.com/Antagain
Retraining the Brain