The Comeback Kid: Ibrahim "Ben" Benbenu: March 2011
Excerpt from The Daytona Beach News Journal, July 18th 2011.
By Kathy Page, Staff Writer
Read the complete article here.
On March 16, Ibrahim "Ben" Benbenu, 53, was sitting at his computer in his Orange City home when he was, as he put it, "struck by internal lightning."
"I felt spasms in my jaw, tightness in my neck, saw a flash of bright light, and fell down on the floor," Benbenu said. His youngest daughter, Miriam, rushed to his side only to see what looked like the left side of his face "sliding off." His oldest daughter, Rachel, called 9-1-1 and Benbenu was taken to Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City where he was diagnosed as having had a severe stroke.
After the stroke, Benbenu went through inpatient therapy from March 28 to May 10 at Peninsula Rehab Center (PRC) at Florida Hospital Oceanside, Ormond Beach. He continues to visit PRC for outpatient therapy.
Having a fighting spirit gets you through therapy -- keep thinking "I can, I can, I can." The therapists give you the very best of the tools, you have to take these tools and put them to use through a strong desire. The therapists at PRC welcome and embrace you like family. Initially, we were encouraged to go to a nursing home, but I'm so glad that we didn't. I believe the care here was so much better and definitely worth the drive from Orange City. The therapists here are like the Navy Seals: they are the best of the best, the elite!
Kyle Hays, Guillian-Barre Syndrome: Summer 2009
When Kyle Hays tells of his time overcoming paralysis, what stands out is the way he talks about his therapists. He refers to them like old friends — he caught up with one physical therapist at a recent sporting event, and he and another recreational therapist trade messages on Facebook. Kyle was a 20-year-old sports management major was at the time and was living out a dream, two weeks into his first season as a Stetson University Hatter, in DeLand, on the NCAA Division I basketball team.
He was working out daily and practicing with the team before the official start of the season when he had a back ache. Kyle assumed it was typical muscle soreness, but slept little for four days while the pain increased. On the fifth day, Kyle woke up and couldn’t feel his feet and the pain was debilitating. The next couple of weeks were a blur. Kyle went straight to the university athletic trainer and was referred to a specialist in Daytona Beach. Eventually, he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disorder in which the immune system attacks the nervous system.
Kyle spent nearly a week in an Intensive Care Unit and then was discharged to Peninsula Rehab Center (PRC) at Florida Hospital Oceanside for inpatient care. When he arrived, he was bedridden and barely moving on his own.
“After two weeks of lying in bed, I hit a turning point,” Kyle said. “I told the therapists that I wanted to get up and move.” His first day of therapy, it took five therapists to pick up Kyle and take him to the gym where he inched his way along parallel bars. It was their positive attitudes, he said, that motivated him and ultimately resulted in his rapid progression back to health.
Kyle described his PRC therapists as providing mental and emotional support as much as physical. When he was offered the services of a mental health counselor he declined, explaining that he was already sharing his thoughts and feelings with the PRC team members he saw daily. Kyle returned to Stetson and fully recovered. Kyle said it was a combination of his skilled therapists, his family's support and “lots of peoples prayers” that gave him the strength to quickly recover from what could have been a devastating syndrome.
Karen Winne, Stroke Survivor: January 2008
On January 5, 2008, I was forced to take time to be sick. I was so frightened about what was happening to me. I became very weak and was vomiting unlike having a normal case of the flu. My husband, who was a firefighter for 30 years, took one look at me and told me I had a stroke. He called the ambulance and I was taken to Florida Hospital Flagler in Palm Coast. The Neurologist and an admitting coordinator for the Oceanside Hospital recommended that I transfer to Peninsula Rehab Center. My husband and I were very familiar with PRC since he had rehab there after double knee replacements in January 2007. We knew his needs were capably met and we agreed it was the best place for my rehab.
At this point, I knew I was seriously ill but had no concept as to how long it would take for me to regain the use of my leg, arm, and hand. I was still very frightened about my future. The admitting coordinator went above and beyond to get me admitted to PRC. As it turned out, she was from the same hometown in Illinois in which I grew up. That was my first sign that angles were watching over me. After I was admitted, she continued to visit me and clapped for me once when I was on a treadmill in therapy. Being on a treadmill doesn't sound scary until you have a leg that isn't working normally. It was very impressive to me, having a total stranger check on me and care for me the way she did she was the first of many who followed me through my progress.
As I continue to rehab as an outpatient, I frequently see the nurses, techs, and the doctor who oversaw my care and they always speak to me by name and ask how I'm doing. Sometimes, I even get a hug. I don't know how I would be without all these angels on earth. The therapists have taken time to work with my husband as well. He has built several gadgets that I use at home for therapy. He does therapy with me the four days of the week that I don't go to Peninsula Rehab Center. The therapists explained to me that it would be a long process but there was hope for a full recovery if I worked hard. I knew that I could do that. I had to work hard for everything I ever had in life. I also have a wonderful family that wanted me to be well. I was determined to get my freedom back and return to being an independent person!
Lynne Mell, Stroke Survivor: October 2006
After suffering a stroke in late October of 2006, I found myself at Peninsula Rehabilitation Center. I spent five weeks in rehab and it was the best place for me to be. I cannot say enough about the entire rehab staff from the doctors to the nurses to the aides but the therapists are the BEST!
The therapists got me up and moving once again when all I really wanted to do was stay in bed. After five weeks, I was up and walking which was an incredible feeling after being paralyzed on the left side. Not only did I get the physical support that I needed but the emotional support was above and beyond.
I am sill working with these same therapists in the out-patient unit. Without their support and knowledge I would not have advanced as far as I have so far. I have made some wonderful friends within the rehab staff and I can honestly say that if you need to be hospitalized for neuro-rehab, this is the place to be!
More Satisfied PRC Patients!
"If you have to be somewhere other than your home, this is the best place to be! I was at (a nursing home) for 20 days and I think I got worse there! I was going backwards, definitively not going forward. I have no complaints about PRC, just compliments." July 2011
"I just got here and so far everybody has been great. We were quite afraid before coming to PRC that it was going to be like a nursing home but we are so happy that everything is going great and the therapist are so wonderful. It does not feel like a nursing home at all." July 2011
"Thank you for all the great care. You are the best." June 2011
"The therapists are excellent." June 2011
"I am going home! My stay was good and staff worked very hard to help me. I appreciated them being so good to my wife also." June 2011
"The therapy team here is remarkable. So talented. They are taking such great care of me." May 2011
"As a retired nurse, I am telling you that you should be so proud of this facility and this staff. It is great work that you all are doing here. I will most certainly recommend this place. When I first arrived, I could barely move my pinky finger and now I am about to walk out of here!” April 2011
"Everyone is so very nice. This hospital is even better than Celebration (cruise line)!! I am getting much better care here than I did there." April 2011
"I just love everyone here. What great care!! This team is fantastic. This rehab and the whole team here make me very happy." April 2011
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! Everyone has taken such good care of me and I am so grateful for everyon.e" March 2011
"I cannot believe the kindness of the staff here. Everyone is so happy and seems to really enjoy their work. What amazing care this team has provided for my wife. I will always be so grateful." February 2011
"I have made such great progress and everyone has done such a great job. The PRC Therapists are just amazing." February 2011
"I can't thank everyone enough. I cannot believe that just a month ago I wasn't able to walk and not I can!! Everyone has taken great care of me! You all do a great job!!" February 2011
"Several weeks ago it took me 20 minutes to get out of bed and now I am walking to the bathroom and back to the wheelchair all by myself. I am still amazed!! The staff are so great here at the beach." February 2011
"This place is an A+!! Everyone has taken great care of me!" February 2011
"The therapy department is fantastic!! Everyone has been so great. I want to take them all home with me." February 2011
"This place is great!! I get to go home because I have progressed so wonderfully. Thank you! Everyone did a good job getting me back home." February 2011
"I don't know how you all do this every day. You are angels. So patient and so very kind." February 2011
"The care has simply been outstanding. Such a wonderful place for rehab. Nursing and Rehab both have given me such great care. Everyone has been terrific! I am certainly recommended this hospital to all of my family and friends." January 2011