{"id":66536,"date":"2022-11-02T09:59:18","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T15:59:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=66536"},"modified":"2025-12-31T09:11:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T16:11:32","slug":"rehab-after-a-stroke-nowhere-to-go-but-up-for-49-year-old","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/rehab-after-a-stroke-nowhere-to-go-but-up-for-49-year-old\/","title":{"rendered":"Rehab after a stroke: Nowhere to go but up for 49-year-old"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><figure id=\"attachment_66540\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-66540\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-66540\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02093232\/daughterkissingdadtiny.webp\" alt=\"Cory Davidson, 49, and his daughter, Dakota, 6, enjoy their time together as Cory recovers from a stroke in late August. \" width=\"640\" height=\"439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02093232\/daughterkissingdadtiny.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02093232\/daughterkissingdadtiny-300x206.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02093232\/daughterkissingdadtiny-768x527.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02093232\/daughterkissingdadtiny-150x103.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02093232\/daughterkissingdadtiny-200x137.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-66540\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cory Davidson, 49, and his daughter, Dakota, 6, enjoy their time together as Cory recovers from a stroke in late August. Photos: Sonya Doctorian, UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When Cory Davidson moved into his third-floor apartment in Broomfield, he didn\u2019t give a second thought to his building not having an elevator.<\/p>\n<p>Why should he? At 49, he was rarely sick, in good shape and feeling healthier than he had in years, having lost 60 pounds in recent months.<\/p>\n<p>Then he suffered a debilitating stroke that left the entire right side of his body paralyzed and forced him to relearn how to walk, talk and use his arm, hand and fingers. He soon realized how much climbing those 42 steps would mean to him and his future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was feeling good and things were going great,\u201d said Cory, an architect who has lived in Metro Denver since 1996. \u201cI went from that to laying in a hospital bed thinking, \u2018This is terrifying \u2026 what am I supposed to do now?&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"su-youtube su-u-responsive-media-yes\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Y2Ln4jj7xIQ?mute=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture\" title=\"Smiling Again | Cory Davidson | Harry Mack x UCHealth | Ep. 014\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2><strong>Stroke comes from out of the blue<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>His journey began a few months ago on the last Saturday of August after he picked up his 6-year-old daughter, Dakota, and they went to a Broomfield restaurant for lunch. He had just wrapped up some major work projects \u2013 a downtown Denver hotel and an apartment complex in the Pearl Street area \u2013 and was looking forward to some downtime.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_66543\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-66543\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-66543\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02094545\/corystairstiny.webp\" alt=\"Cory walks three flights of stairs to his apartment, using it as part of his rehab after his stroke.\" width=\"640\" height=\"436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02094545\/corystairstiny.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02094545\/corystairstiny-300x204.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02094545\/corystairstiny-768x523.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02094545\/corystairstiny-150x102.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02094545\/corystairstiny-200x136.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-66543\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cory Davidson reaches the top of the stairs at his third-floor apartment in Broomfield. There&#8217;s no elevator, so he&#8217;s incorporated his trips up and down into his physical therapy and rehab after his stroke.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI had been so busy and just wanted to take a month off and unwind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His memories of that day are murky: He\u2019s enjoying time with his daughter; he takes a few bites of his meal; he says hello to a friend passing by the table. Then suddenly, a terrifying moment: \u201cI couldn\u2019t move the right side of my body. After that, I just don\u2019t remember much.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A series of life-saving decisions quickly unfolded. He credits his friend and the restaurant manager for grasping the severity of his condition and calling 911. Cory was stabilized at a nearby hospital and then airlifted to another, where doctors removed a blood clot that had traveled to the left side of his brain. The left side of the brain controls functions on the right side of the body, as well as speech and language.<\/p>\n<p>After implanting a heart monitor and putting him on a blood thinner, physicians told him they were perplexed at <a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.world-stroke.org\/world-stroke-day-campaign\/prevent-stroke\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">what caused the stroke<\/a>, as Cory was young, a nonsmoker and in good health.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ll probably never know why,\u201d Cory said.<\/p>\n<p>With Cory <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/treatments-procedures\/stroke-care\/\">out of intensive care and recovering<\/a>, he and his family realized a difficult rehab lay ahead. He couldn\u2019t move his leg, arm, hand or fingers on his right side, and he couldn\u2019t speak or move his tongue very well. He was able to drink through a straw and swallow, which was encouraging.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNever should a parent have to watch a child go through this,\u201d said his father, Rick, a constant and steady presence during his son\u2019s medical odyssey. \u201cTo see your son like that, oh boy, it was unbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The best place for rehab after a stroke<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The family quickly decided that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/locations\/uchealth-broomfield-hospital\/\">UCHealth Broomfield Hospital<\/a> would be Cory\u2019s best option in his recovery because of the reputation of its physical, occupational and speech therapy programs. A bonus was that the hospital is only a mile from his apartment.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_66544\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-66544\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-66544\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02094816\/corydaughtertiny.webp\" alt=\"daughter watches her dad lift a weight as part of his rehab after his stroke.\" width=\"640\" height=\"430\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02094816\/corydaughtertiny.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02094816\/corydaughtertiny-300x201.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02094816\/corydaughtertiny-768x516.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02094816\/corydaughtertiny-150x101.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02094816\/corydaughtertiny-200x134.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-66544\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dakota watches Cory Davidson&#8217;s daily physical therapy routine, which includes raising a 15 lb. dumbbell with his right arm. Rehab after his stroke was crucial in his recovery.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>So just four days after his stroke, Cory entered the hospital in a wheelchair and began his rehab journey.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen he came in on Day One, he was really impaired,\u201d said Fara Grabski, a senior occupational therapist who was Cory\u2019s primary therapist.<\/p>\n<p>During the first week of his arrival for his stroke rehabilitation program, Cory found himself on a treadmill with his body suspended by a harness, looking down at his legs and trying to get his muscles to move through sheer force of will.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m saying to myself, \u2018What are you doing to me?\u2019 and then I say, \u2018Wait, I can move!\u2019 If only a little, but I did it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was a watershed moment for his family: \u201cIt was only a baby step, but boy, were we excited to see it,\u201d Rick said.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Pushing himself to the limit in rehab<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>From the onset, therapists on his care team were impressed at Cory\u2019s determination and grit, as if he were in a race against both time and himself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOver the course of his stay, he was incredibly motivated and so eager to work hard. Even when he was exhausted, he kept pushing and made incredible progress,\u201d Grabski said. \u201cHe just always kept moving in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Like many stroke victims, Cory regained mobility first in his leg. During his hospital stay he used a wheelchair and skilled therapy or nursing assist to navigate, as well as a handrail in the hall before graduating to a four-legged cane and then a single cane. In addition to the treadmill, he walked the halls, rode a stationary bike and did electrical stimulation, weight-loading exercises and grasp-and-release tasks for his arm and hand.<\/p>\n<p>Then came the stairs. Lots of stairs.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_66545\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-66545\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-66545\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02095001\/corycarstiny.webp\" alt=\"Cory Davidson and his father, Rick Davidson, transformed their Weld County storage unit into a workshop where they build engines and modify vehicles, including this 2004 Jeep.\" width=\"640\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02095001\/corycarstiny.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02095001\/corycarstiny-300x195.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02095001\/corycarstiny-768x500.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02095001\/corycarstiny-150x98.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02095001\/corycarstiny-200x130.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-66545\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cory Davidson and his father, Rick Davidson, transformed their Weld County storage unit into a workshop where they build engines and modify vehicles, including this 2004 Jeep.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cBy week four, I was nailing those stairs. I was doing them three times a day, up and down, up and down, up and down. If there was extra credit, I would have gotten it \u2013 I wanted that gold star,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Staff also worked on daily activities such as dressing, bathing and grooming tasks, as well as making a simple meal and doing laundry. Coinciding with gaining strength and mobility, Cory also immersed himself in speech therapy.<\/p>\n<p>When he was admitted, he was experiencing dysarthria, which is slurred speech caused by a weakness in the muscles needed for speech, and aphasia, a language disorder that makes it difficult for a person to communicate effectively.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen Cory first came in, he had no usable language skills \u2013 he couldn\u2019t say hello \u2013 he couldn\u2019t even use language to give a yes or no answer,\u2019\u2019 said Caurel Gulbranson, the primary speech and language pathologist who worked with Cory. \u201cWhen you can\u2019t communicate, you really lose the essence of who you are.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He had to begin at the beginning: pointing to pictures, reciting 123s and ABCs,\u00a0and practicing simple reading. He followed along as Gulbranson told him to watch her mouth and \u201cDo what I do.\u201d He worked on enunciation and articulation, building his vocabulary and repertoire of words from one syllable to more complicated verbiage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor someone to come in with that level of impairment, sometimes they never get to the level of where Cory is, or if they do, it takes a long time. His progress has been remarkable,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Cory and his family have nothing but praise for the care he\u2019s received: \u201cIt\u2019s been amazing,\u201d Rick said. Added Cory: \u201cUCHealth has been straight up great.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During his month-long stay, Cory had time to mull over a few pressing concerns as he pressed on through rehab after his stroke. A divorced dad with shared custody of his daughter, Cory is a self-employed architect, and that brings certain inescapable requirements: being on site for jobs, having computer dexterity, presenting ideas and communicating with clients.<\/p>\n<p>Strengthening and gaining control of his right arm and hand have been more elusive than walking and talking. He is right-handed, with a right hand that is not always cooperating.<\/p>\n<p>Several months after the stroke, he can raise that arm parallel to his shoulder, but fine motor skills in that hand are challenging.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUntil you lose your ability to use parts of your body you took for granted, you don\u2019t realize how it will affect your life. Like how much you use your right hand: I didn\u2019t realize my left hand was so stupid. It\u2019s maddening.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_66546\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-66546\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-66546\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02095122\/coryincartiny.webp\" alt=\"Cory starts the engine of the 1970 Nova SS he and his dad, Rick, built. It was just a shell when they took on the project. The rack also holds a 1972 Chevy pickup, which Cory rebuilt in high school. The Davidsons display their finished work in car shows throughout the West.\" width=\"640\" height=\"421\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02095122\/coryincartiny.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02095122\/coryincartiny-300x197.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02095122\/coryincartiny-768x505.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02095122\/coryincartiny-150x99.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/02095122\/coryincartiny-200x132.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-66546\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cory starts the engine of the 1970 Nova SS he and his dad, Rick, built. It was just a shell when they took on the project. The rack also holds a 1972 Chevy pickup, which Cory rebuilt in high school. The Davidsons display their finished work in car shows throughout the West.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>His dad gently reminds him: \u201cIt seems like forever to him, but from week one when we saw him lying there not being able to feel his arm and leg to what he\u2019s doing now \u2013 it\u2019s amazing,\u201d Rick said.<\/p>\n<p>Cory tries to rein in his tendency to hit the accelerator on his healing. Still, he\u2019s given himself a deadline of the new year to be back to work.<\/p>\n<p>Aside from getting back to a career he loves, Cory&#8217;s main motivating factor is his daughter \u2013 to be healthy and back to \u201cnormal\u201d for her as quickly as possible. He tears up momentarily when talking about the ordeal she has endured along with him, especially since she was there during the stroke.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe tells people \u2018Daddy\u2019s arm and leg are broken,&#8217;\u201d he said. \u201cShe\u2019s such a good little helper \u2013 she keeps her room neat and will even put plates in the dishwasher and try and clean up.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>If it had wheels, he\u2019d drive it<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Cory\u2019s resolve and purpose, with a bit of impatience thrown in for good measure, is no surprise to his family members, who remember him as a boy with drive and work ethic to spare.<\/p>\n<p>Born and raised in Langdon, N.D., population 1,900 and just a few miles south of the Canadian border, Cory was mechanically inclined from the get-go, building engines at 13, driving a truck at 15 and mastering an 18-wheeler at 18.<\/p>\n<p>His father, or \u201cPa\u201d, recalled a time when a coach told him not to bother to bring Cory back to practice, as he had spent the whole time on the field watching the skies, fascinated by the planes flying overhead.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI loved mechanics, I understood mechanics \u2013 sports, I just didn\u2019t get,\u201d Cory recalled.<\/p>\n<p>After receiving a degree in architecture from North Dakota State University, he moved to metro Denver where his sister had relocated, and his parents eventually followed.<\/p>\n<p>He brought his passion for all-things-with-wheels with him to Colorado. A self-described gear head, his garage holds his two Harley-Davidsons that he uses for annual trips with Rick to the Sturgis, South Dakota motorcycle rally. The bikes keep company with a tricked-out Jeep and a Chevy Avalanche pickup truck that he takes off-roading; and a \u201cmancave\u201d in eastern Colorado stores his \u201870 Nova, \u201872 classic pickup, old Chevy diesel truck and a Mini Cooper.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s killing me not to drive,\u201d he said, after listing his many cars and trucks. \u201cIt\u2019s driving me nuts. I\u2019m just waiting to get behind the wheel again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His yearning to get back to his \u201ctoys\u201d spurs him on as he engages in weekly PT, OT and speech therapy. He walks, climbs stairs, lifts weights and exercises his hand with an electronic glove that pumps air to help open and close his fingers into a fist.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can lay there and feel bad about what happened, or you can get the hell out of bed and do the work, do the exercise and push yourself. And that\u2019s what I did and continue to do every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Stoke recovery: the climb continues<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Back to those 42 stairs.<\/p>\n<p>When he was discharged from UCHealth Broomfield he left with a wheelchair and a cane. The wheelchair is in his garage. It never made it up the steps, though Cory did, without any assistance.<\/p>\n<p>As for the cane, he did use it once \u2026 to open a heating vent on the ceiling.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery day I say to myself, I can do it. I just want to accomplish something, and when I do, it feels good. The faster you can get ahead of something like this, the better. I will get there. I just have to take the extra step, and then take more than the extra step. I\u2019ll do it till I can\u2019t do it anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Cory Davidson moved into his third-floor apartment in Broomfield, he didn\u2019t give a second thought to his building not having an elevator. Why should he? At 49, he was rarely sick, in good shape and feeling healthier than he had in years, having lost 60 pounds in recent months. Then he suffered a debilitating [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2357,"featured_media":66540,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[3329,372,110,130,3330,869],"class_list":["post-66536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-inpatient-rehabilitation-and-therapy","tag-occupational-therapy","tag-physical-therapy","tag-rehabilitation","tag-speech-therapy","tag-stroke-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Rehab after a stroke: Nowhere to go but up - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cory Davidson, 49, had a stroke that left him paralyzed on his right side. In rehab after his stroke is where his true strength shined.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/rehab-after-a-stroke-nowhere-to-go-but-up-for-49-year-old\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rehab after a stroke: Nowhere to go but up for 49-year-old\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cory Davidson, 49, had a stroke that left him paralyzed on his right side. 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