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Stroke survivor finds clarity and improved speech after rehab

Jeffrey Agderian, a 70-year-old resident of Dumont, New Jersey, doesn’t recall many of the details surrounding his strokes.

“I was walking the dog with my girlfriend when I noticed a foul smell in my mouth,” Agderian recalled. “I didn’t smell anything bad, it just seemed like a foul smell.”

Further down the trail, Agderian started to get confused.

“My girlfriend and I were talking about her daughter, but our conversation didn’t make sense to me,” he said. “I said something, I don’t remember what, and she noticed something was wrong. She said, ‘I think we should walk home so you can rest.’”

Once they returned home, Agderian’s girlfriend called his son. A short time later, Agderian’s son arrived and said they went to the Emergency Room at a nearby hospital. After a few hours in the hospital, Agderian was released to go home. Later that same day, Agderian noticed pain in his arm.

“I was walking the dog in the neighborhood and had trouble fully extending my arm,” he said. “My son and daughter were here checking on me. When they heard about my arm, they called for an ambulance, and I went to Hackensack Meridian Pascack Valley Medical Center with another stroke.”

Stroke signs and symptoms

Fortunately for Agderian, his family recognized his symptoms and acted quickly. According to The Stroke Foundation, these are the signs and symptoms of a stroke:

Face drooping — Is one side of the face drooping? Look at their eyes, cheeks or lips to check for any unusual asymmetry or droopiness.

Arm weakness — Is the person experiencing arm weakness? Ask them to raise both arms to shoulder height and check for one arm that seems lower than the other.

Slurred speech — Is the person’s speech slurred, or are they speaking in an unintelligible way?

Time to call 911 — It’s time to call 911 or your local emergency services. Be sure to tell them you think it’s a stroke.

Other important warning signs are:

  • The person seems to be having trouble understanding you or speaking coherently.
  • The person appears to be confused and has trouble seeing or walking.
  • The person is experiencing a painful headache.
  • The person is experiencing numbness on their face, arms, legs, or a specific side of their body.

Therapy and rehabilitation at Pascack Valley Medical Center

Once Agderian recovered from his strokes, he began rehabilitation treatments at The Center for Therapy and Rehabilitation Services at Pascack Valley Medical Center. The Center offers world-class care for physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.

“I started with physical therapy exercises,” said Agderian. “I did a lot of walking down the halls and hand exercises to improve the strength in my right hand. It helped improve my handwriting, which wasn’t great to begin with, so I could sign my name on checks and take care of my own bills.”

Agderian also had occupational therapy sessions to ensure he could manage day-to-day living activities.

Another side effect of his strokes was aphasia, a brain disorder during which a person has trouble speaking or understanding what other people are saying. This occurs when the parts of the brain that control spoken language are damaged or disrupted, as in a stroke.

“I met with Monica, a speech therapist,” Agderian recalled. “She helped me think about different things, like synonyms or trying to remember how to do chores around the house. I just love her.”

Agderian highly recommends the rehabilitation team to others. “You know, they are very caring. Whatever it is that you need to have done, they will get it done.”

For more information about the therapy and rehabilitation services offered at Pascack Valley Medical Center, visit our web page.