Dennis Moore
Stroke
Dennis Moore is a 53 year old CEO of an aviation management company. On May 20, he got a sharp pain in his neck and a tingling in his cheek. As he went to find his wife, he collapsed. “My right side gave out, I was vomiting, and I had extreme vertigo.” Dennis was rushed to the hospital where they discovered he had a stroke in the medulla. Dennis underwent multiple tests and scans, yet doctors were unable to identify the cause of his stroke.
Following the stroke, Dennis experienced difficulty with his vision, vertigo, loss of balance, right-sided weakness, loss of temperature sensation on his left side and sensory confusion.
“When I had my stroke, I couldn’t stand or keep my balance. I didn’t even know what my therapists looked like because I couldn’t open my eyes long enough without being dizzy and experiencing vertigo. I struggled with how to move forward, but I had a goal to find out who I was going to be after the stroke and how I was going to go on living. I trusted the Lord the whole time and He never let me down.”
Throughout Dennis’s stay at Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation – Fort Worth (BSWIR-Fort Worth), Dennis worked diligently to get back on his feet. He said it was a struggle but there were breakthrough moments.
“When I would have a moment where I got to laughing with the therapists, it made me realize that I could get back to feeling good again. I could cope, and I could enjoy life again if I allowed myself.”
Dennis made gains in all domains and was deemed appropriate for the Day Neuro program. Once there, Dennis continued to work hard despite how difficult it was for him. He made amazing progress with the help of his therapists. “Other than the loss of sensation, I’m almost back to normal. I have achieved beyond what I thought was possible. The team worked with me and pushed to make me better, and now I’m running, jumping, and doing burpees. I’m playing golf again, I’m back to restoring an old tractor -- I’m back to living again.”
When asked what advice Dennis would give someone who has had a stroke, he shared, “Don’t be a victim. Find a way to get in front of it and let the therapists help you achieve a new you. It is an opportunity to be reborn again.”