Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/244291
Every day, Nguyen or another team psychologist would tell Sparks the date, reminding her that she was a patient and telling her about her accident. Gradually, with therapists' persistence, reality began to set in for Sparks, whose first memory was two weeks after checking into Spalding. Practice, Practice, Practice The same concept prevailed throughout Sparks' therapy. For example, the occupational therapy team helped Sparks relearn everyday tasks, such as eating or dressing, through repetition and correct technique. "We use a lot of guiding technology," says occupational therapist Karen Hookstadt. "We do a wide variety of activities focused on recreating normal movement patterns." As patients relearn these everyday-living tasks, the brain regenerates correctly in response. And repetition is critical. "That's where the work comes in," says Adam Hoyle, a physical therapist on the team. "We're talking tens of thousands of repetitions before a function can be relearned by a different part of the brain," Hoyle says. Therapists use a variety of high-tech equipment aimed at forcing correct use and allowing for more repetitions, such as braces that aid in hand grasping and releasing for OT exercises or full-body support systems for treadmill exercises during PT. "It reduces the weight and energy expenditure for patients, allowing them to work longer," Hoyle says of the body support system, which also reduces safety worries for the therapist. Speech pathologists are also critical to the Spalding team, using the methodical errorlesslearning technique to reach many important goals. "We start with sounds; then sounds to words; then words to sentences," says Birchfield, whose job goes far beyond re-teaching speech to include everything from swallowing to reading to memory retention. "It's highly rewarding," she says. "Language is the way we relate in life, the way we relate with people." Stephanie Sparks and her sons, Landon, left, and Austin, right, show off their Broncos gear before heading out to the game. Broncos or Bust As painstaking as it was, the importance of the repetition wasn't lost on Sparks, who says her doctor and therapists included her and her family throughout her recovery, which consisted of more than 30 inpatient days followed by outpatient therapy that is still ongoing. "They explained things so that I could understand the process of what we were doing and understand that the harder I worked with them, the better I would recover," says Sparks, who now volunteers at Spalding to share that message with new patients. "It was extremely hard, but in a good sense. It really drove me to be engaged with it," says Sparks, who is now back to driving and working full time. Sparks' outstanding success revolves around the rehabilitation team's consistency and cohesiveness, and her own determination and family support, Hookstadt and her colleagues agree. "We all work together and focus on that same style of recovery learning," she says. "If patients are truly willing to put in the work, and they have a good support system, they have the ability to change." Sparks is proof, having reached her goals, which included getting back to parenting. She recalls how her youngest, a senior in high school, led rescuers to his mother that July 7 day. "They say he saved me at least 20 minutes," says Sparks, who also suffered a severe eye injury, broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder. And Sparks had one other goal when her therapists asked her early on for her list. "I love Bronco games. I told them I wanted to get back to my Bronco games," she says. With the first home regular season game set for Sept. 5, it seemed far-fetched, but Sparks did it, sitting in the stands to watch the Broncos beat the Ravens less than two months after her accident. "And," she says with a hint of pride, "I haven't missed a game since." Physical therapist Adam Hoyle and occupational therapist Karen Hookstadt team up during rehabilitation with a Spalding patient. 54