Selected Podcast
Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation: Kermit's Story
Chris and Anne talk about their father Kermit's journey to recover from stroke, including why they chose Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Featured Speakers:
Chris Huston is the Daughter of Kermit Goda.
Anne Goda | Chris Huston
Anne Goda is the Daughter of Kermit Goda.Chris Huston is the Daughter of Kermit Goda.
Transcription:
Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation: Kermit's Story
Caitlin Whyte: Chris Houston and Ann go to our sisters. And since their mother passed away a decade ago, their father Kermit has been living between both of them.
Chris Huston: We always kid everyone and say we share him. So that means sometimes he's with my sister in Pennsylvania, because that's where we grew up.
Caitlin Whyte: He was with Chris in New York, in the Hudson Valley when his stroke happened.
Chris Huston: But he's an avid stamp collector coin collector. Um, big eBay shopper. So we were in, I was in his office with him, helping him to order some new binders for his stamp collections. So we had just placed the order when it was, I don't know, three 30 or so in the afternoon.
Caitlin Whyte: He took a nap before dinner, nothing out of the ordinary, but when he showed up to dinner, she knew something was off.
Chris Huston: He was talking, but his answers or questions Didn't make sense in the, the logic of the conversation.
Caitlin Whyte: She took him to the hospital near her home, and it was there that they confirmed a stroke had happened. Now, growing up in the area near Allentown, good shepherd was often talked about. So when their father's stroke happened, Anne called them, right.
Anne Goda: So I got home and block away when I called to Wagner, I believe she's the director of admissions. She answered the phone. Which was like to us the first good sign. They didn't have to leave a message. I had a wonderful conversation with her. She was super upbeat and she told me she would have her assistant Jenny Lim reach out to us.
Caitlin Whyte: But transferring a 91 year old man from Chris's house to good shepherd, wasn't going to be an easy task. It's a three-hour trip and doctors weren't sure Kermit would be able or comfortable sitting upright in a car for that long. So they needed to dispatch an ambulance to transport him in a bed and an impending snow storm didn't help the process, but eventually Kermit was on the road to good Shepard for inpatient stroke rehabilitation.
They weren't able to see their father during the 12 days, he spent a good shepherd because of COVID, but they had nightly zoom calls. And as for dad, he still has a long road to recovery ahead of him. He is in Pennsylvania with an doing speech therapy and other outpatient rehabs.
Chris Huston: You have that hope that things will continue. But then as my sister said, as have deeper conversations or ask deeper questions, you can see him struggling, willing to think about what to say. And sometimes I think he, thinks, he's saying the right thing. And then it's frustrating to him that we don't understand it.
Caitlin Whyte: The biggest thing they were grateful for working with good shepherd was that they helped the sisters be an advocate for their father, Especially Jenny Lim.
Chris Huston: My father was very active before I made an active for a 91 year old, very into his hobbies, you know, reading, watching TV, you know, eBay, shopping, things like that. So we were hoping and wanting to do whatever we could to get him back to that same state. And Jenny Lynn was very helpful. So Jenny means willingness to really reach out and work with us in the hospital. To get that to happen was a blessing to both of us to have someone there.
Caitlin Whyte: Good shepherd is a destination for transforming lives and inspiring hope. Call 1-888 44 rehab or visit good shepherd rehab.org.
Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation: Kermit's Story
Caitlin Whyte: Chris Houston and Ann go to our sisters. And since their mother passed away a decade ago, their father Kermit has been living between both of them.
Chris Huston: We always kid everyone and say we share him. So that means sometimes he's with my sister in Pennsylvania, because that's where we grew up.
Caitlin Whyte: He was with Chris in New York, in the Hudson Valley when his stroke happened.
Chris Huston: But he's an avid stamp collector coin collector. Um, big eBay shopper. So we were in, I was in his office with him, helping him to order some new binders for his stamp collections. So we had just placed the order when it was, I don't know, three 30 or so in the afternoon.
Caitlin Whyte: He took a nap before dinner, nothing out of the ordinary, but when he showed up to dinner, she knew something was off.
Chris Huston: He was talking, but his answers or questions Didn't make sense in the, the logic of the conversation.
Caitlin Whyte: She took him to the hospital near her home, and it was there that they confirmed a stroke had happened. Now, growing up in the area near Allentown, good shepherd was often talked about. So when their father's stroke happened, Anne called them, right.
Anne Goda: So I got home and block away when I called to Wagner, I believe she's the director of admissions. She answered the phone. Which was like to us the first good sign. They didn't have to leave a message. I had a wonderful conversation with her. She was super upbeat and she told me she would have her assistant Jenny Lim reach out to us.
Caitlin Whyte: But transferring a 91 year old man from Chris's house to good shepherd, wasn't going to be an easy task. It's a three-hour trip and doctors weren't sure Kermit would be able or comfortable sitting upright in a car for that long. So they needed to dispatch an ambulance to transport him in a bed and an impending snow storm didn't help the process, but eventually Kermit was on the road to good Shepard for inpatient stroke rehabilitation.
They weren't able to see their father during the 12 days, he spent a good shepherd because of COVID, but they had nightly zoom calls. And as for dad, he still has a long road to recovery ahead of him. He is in Pennsylvania with an doing speech therapy and other outpatient rehabs.
Chris Huston: You have that hope that things will continue. But then as my sister said, as have deeper conversations or ask deeper questions, you can see him struggling, willing to think about what to say. And sometimes I think he, thinks, he's saying the right thing. And then it's frustrating to him that we don't understand it.
Caitlin Whyte: The biggest thing they were grateful for working with good shepherd was that they helped the sisters be an advocate for their father, Especially Jenny Lim.
Chris Huston: My father was very active before I made an active for a 91 year old, very into his hobbies, you know, reading, watching TV, you know, eBay, shopping, things like that. So we were hoping and wanting to do whatever we could to get him back to that same state. And Jenny Lynn was very helpful. So Jenny means willingness to really reach out and work with us in the hospital. To get that to happen was a blessing to both of us to have someone there.
Caitlin Whyte: Good shepherd is a destination for transforming lives and inspiring hope. Call 1-888 44 rehab or visit good shepherd rehab.org.