Josh Pool of Lubbock, Texas, recently was a patient at Trustpoint Rehabilitation Hospital of Lubbock. Below is an account of his experience as provided by his wife, Crystal.

My husband, Josh has always lived an active life full of joy. He’s known for having a big smile on his face and being easygoing. Josh provided a beautiful life for our young family of four. He worked very hard to ensure our needs were cared for, allowing me to stay at home with our children. He loves being involved in ministry and sharing the love of Jesus Christ with everyone. He’s passionate about community, and we believe that the Lord created us to live in that way.

Last spring, Josh went to the emergency room with an extremely high heart rate and atrial fibrillation. They found a pulmonary embolism in his left lung, and he was admitted to the hospital. The doctors treated him and took the necessary precautions to check for other blood clots. He went home a couple days later. That evening, however, he suffered an ischemic stroke.

Josh was transported again to the hospital. Unfortunately, he lost his speech and motor abilities on the right side of his body. He was in critical care for eight days. After he became medically stable, he was transferred to TrustPoint Rehabilitation Hospital of Lubbock (TRHL). He received inpatient rehabilitation therapy for five weeks and is now continuing with outpatient therapy there.

TRHL was referred to us by many doctors and friends while Josh was in the ICU. The recognition for specialized stroke care was what gave us the confidence in choosing their hospital for Josh’s rehabilitation.

The recovery process has been amazing to witness. I think his positivity and determination influenced his recovery the most. He remained joyful even though there were a lot of times he could have become frustrated or defeated. He stayed focused and worked hard to persevere through the challenges that came his way.

There are so many staff members, nurses, patient care technicians, administrative support personnel, and therapists that encouraged and helped us stay positive. Brooke, speech therapist, was one individual who we felt Josh had a turning point with on his speech and cognition. The way she approached Josh’s diagnosis with a gentle lighthearted style of treatment was exactly what he needed. I have always heard laughter is the best medicine, and I think she incorporated the right amount of lightheartedness into therapy to help open up his neuro pathways for speech. Brandi, administrative assistant, went above and beyond helping me navigate our HealthShare reimbursement process. She was a wealth of information, and her experience was invaluable to me.

Having the opportunity to start our rehabilitation journey at TRHL allowed us to stay close to our family and community. We were able to see our children and many loved ones daily. We are fortunate to be surrounded with love and support, which kept us motivated and kept Josh’s goals at the forefront to gain back what was lost. We are hopeful that Josh is headed toward a full recovery and will continue to stay full of joy. Our hope is that the Lord will use his story to impact another person to not feel alone or isolated.