Fifty-five-year-old Lavida Mickle from Lugoff, S.C., leads an active lifestyle. She enjoys shopping, taking long walks, and traveling. A medical technician, Lavida left for work one day in late May feeling fine. After arriving at the office, however, she suddenly experienced weakness in her right leg. Concerned, she drove home. The weakness worsened to the point where she was unable to walk. It also began affecting her right arm and causing her speech to become slurred. A family member noticed a change in Lavida’s facial expressions, prompting an immediate trip to the hospital.

After several tests, Lavida was diagnosed with a stroke. The medical team recommended that she receive post-acute care at an inpatient rehabilitation facility. Lavida chose Midlands Regional Rehabilitation Hospital (MRRH), which is nationally certified in stroke rehabilitation by The Joint Commission. The medical rehabilitation hospital utilizes best practices and a patient-centered approach to help patients maximize their recoveries and achieve optimal outcomes.

“MRRH is a newer hospital that I had heard great things about,” Lavida says. “And, it’s close to my home.”

At MRRH, Lavida set specific goals for her rehabilitation, focusing on regaining better control of her right side. She worked with the hospital’s interdisciplinary healthcare team on rebuilding her strength and endurance. Initially during therapy, her knee would buckle, but she made significant progress, graduating from using a wheelchair to a single-point cane as needed for mobility.

Lavida credits many of the MRRH staff with her successful healing journey.

“Anna, Lyndsey, Caroline, Jason, Amy, Cheyenne…they were all there with me from Day 1, helping with my therapy and encouraging me in my recovery,” she says.

After more than two weeks at MRRH, Lavida was discharged from the hospital and is looking forward to returning to her active lifestyle. She continues with outpatient therapy treatments at MRRH to improve her walking and to gain better use of her right hand.