Helping the Survivors: As More Stroke Patients Live, More Need Rehab Treatment

Posted: Published on January 18th, 2015

This post was added by Dr Simmons

Published: Sunday, January 18, 2015 at 12:40 a.m. Last Modified: Sunday, January 18, 2015 at 12:40 a.m.

The words, once intimately familiar, seemed almost new to him as they poured from his mouth at Shepherd's Community United Methodist Church in South Lakeland.

His first rehearsal for the Christmas Eve performance was different as well.

Weeks ahead, he had painstakingly sounded out each word with the help of speech therapist Pam Smith.

Recognizing words, steering them through new pathways in his brain, is an ongoing challenge for Cleveland. It's been that way since a stroke on April 9 almost killed him.

More stroke patients now survive brain attacks that would have killed them a few years ago, and stroke has dropped from the fourth- to the fifth-leading cause of death in the U.S., the federal government said in late 2014.

With higher survival rates comes an increasing need for stroke rehabilitation programs for people like Cleveland, 41, who deal with varying disabilities.

In fact, stroke is one of the leading causes of disability.

"Sometimes I cry a lot," the longtime Christian musician said. "There are a lot of difficult things. I think to myself 'It's too hard.'"

At other times, he is positive, joking and determined.

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Helping the Survivors: As More Stroke Patients Live, More Need Rehab Treatment

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