Believe in a way back after stroke

Four days a week you will find Mary Grimming, a 66-year-old stroke survivor, exercising in Magee Riverfront's Wellness gym for several hours. One of the center's most dedicated members, she makes her recovery a full time job by diligently completing a long list of exercises for her right arm and leg.   You will also hear her encouraging the other members: "Straighten your leg. Keep moving. You look great."  Her positive attitude earned her the Magee Patient of the Year award in 2015 as well as the unofficial title of Magee Wellness mom.

Three years ago, Mary sustained a severe stroke on Christmas night. After dinner she had taken her mother home and offered to print out her boarding pass for a flight the next day. She was sitting at the computer when the right side of her face suddenly went numb. She told her mother to call 911 and that she was having a stroke. Her mother replied, "You are not having a stroke. You are just being theatrical."  Mary could not reach the phone and recognizing how quickly the minutes were ticking. She made herself fall to the floor so that her mom would see she was in serious trouble.  Mary was taken to Jefferson Hospital and the rest is a blur. Mary has little memory of the event.

The weeks that followed brought many medical complications, including pneumonia and surgery to control bleeding in her brain.  Mary was unable to move anything on the right side of her body. Her husband Bruce was told to pick out a nursing home because she was non-responsive. Bruce and their three children, Christine, Robert, and Karen, believed in Mary's ability and fought to get her into Magee for intense rehab.

Mary spent the next several weeks as an inpatient at Magee.  She then participated in Magee Riverfront's Day Rehab program where she worked on her recovery for six hours a day, five days a week. In time, Mary progressed from needing a wheelchair to get around, to walking with a four-pronged cane, to a single point cane. She continues to work towards a bigger goal of being able to walk without a brace on her leg.

As a former home economics teacher, the loss of her right arm functions hit Mary hardest. Previously unable to move it at all, she can now wave hello and goodbye as well as reach behind herself and grab things. She can also bake her famous oatmeal cookies, although the process takes much longer than it did before.  Previously able to type 150 words per minute, she has worked hard to be able to type an H, a C, and a K on her laptop.  Achieving small goals one at a time are what keep Mary working so hard every day. When asked what motivates her, she says credits her competitive spirit. "If someone is getting better or faster than me, I can't stand it," Mary said, "I compare my recovery to others."

Ian Crosby, Magee Riverfront's Wellness Coordinator, describes Mary is the definition of an over-achiever. "You want her to do 10 reps? You get 20. You ask her to lift 5 pounds? She lifts 10," Crosby said. "Her hard work and enthusiasm drive her rehabilitation forward and help set the tone for the other Wellness members. She's a pleasure to work with and cares for others as much as she cares for herself."

Mary also credits her recovery to her family members.  She looks up to her daughters and son and recognizes how being swimmers gave them the strength to overcome difficult learning challenges from their childhood. She uses this strength in her own recovery.  Her children do not allow her to have any excuses, giving her the same tough love that she gave them growing up.

Mary's stroke taught her how to be even more appreciative of her husband, Bruce, her best friend. They have been inseparable since they met in 1970 and later married in 1972.   She recognizes that Bruce suffered more than her while she was in the ICU.  "It was Bruce who had to live through the fear of what would happen if I did not survive," Mary says. "When he tells me that I can do something, I know that I can."

Mary also credits Magee's staff with having faith in her. "Keep yourself surrounded by positive people," she advises.

When asked what she would say to encourage other stroke survivors, Mary says, "Doctors are not always right.  They might tell you that you cannot do it. Turn the worst into the best and let that be your anchor.  God has given me the ability to know what to do and the drive to get better. What I do with it is my decision."

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