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THERE IS LIFE AFTER A STROKE
                                         By Mary Ann G. Cruz, RPT

           Hi, Readers'! Allow me to share my 15 year experience as a Physical Therapist at Capitol Medical Center (CMC). Yes! Believe it or not I’m the only one left in the Philippines. I chose to stay. I am glad I stayed all these 15 years with CMC’s Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. It gave me learning experiences in managing a broad variety of cases like a simple sprain to complicated ones like a stroke. Regardless of the complexity, one thing is for sure the patients are deeply affected. That’s why therapy plays an important role. In my department, all cases are given priority. I personally believe pain is pain and needs attention. It may be a grade of 2/10 or 9/10 (10/10 is the most painful), the patient is quite affected and thus seeks treatment.  With this, depression is a common aftermath.  When I was starting, I thought that the job was simple. However, I learned that we, Filipinos, usually treat our sick loved ones like ‘babies’ to the extent of not allowing them to move. We do not realize that this may bring more complications for the patient. As an RPT , I value the significance of our work to promote recovery of de-conditioning such as atrophy, contracture, and pneumonia. 
We can help our patients and the need to share our knowledge with them. Thank God!  Now I can really say that there’s life after stroke, after surgeries or even after an accident. We may not prolong the life of our patients but what we can offer is the quality of life despite their sad experience. At times when someone suffers from a stroke people would say “half of his body is dead so he will be confined in bed”. This is difficult to witness but with the advent of  Rehabilitation ( Physical and Occupational Therapy), the patient enjoys the potential to go back to work, live a normal life and be of help to society. Importantly, an early referral to our department can shorten the patients’ stay in the hospital.  It may prevent secondary complications bring the patient back to near normal if not a 100% normal condition. We can help them attain their highest  level of functioning important for their daily activities. Through exercise we can help them strengthen their muscles and ease their pain. The key is to maintain the patients’ attained condition if full recovery is no longer possible.  And most importantly, in our Rehabilitation Center, our patients have developed camaraderie with their fellow patients.  They bond together, motivate each other and in time influence each other to continue their program. For many, this helps them overcome their depression. 
            Overall, this career is fulfilling. We help patients in our own little way – assisting them in the  various forms of recovery. The Physical Rehabilitation Department at Capitol Medical Center is looking forward to the planned physical expansion. This will enable the Department to cater to more patients and be globally competitive in giving total quality healthcare.  For now we operate at the ground floor of CMC 2 building, Mondays thru Fridays from 6 am to 6 pm and on Saturdays from 8 am to 4 pm.