2019年6月, 结婚27年的丈夫布鲁斯意外去世后，克里斯汀·奈特的世界发生了变化. 他是著名的喜剧演员，而她在拉斯维加斯的演艺界工作. They had no children and she was not close with her family, so his death not only shattered her whole world, but it also left her feeling very alone.
About 17 months later, 2020年11月, 克里斯汀正在看电视，她试图拿起床边的遥控器. Her left arm wouldn't move no matter how hard she tried. Frustrated, she tried to say (out loud), "What is wrong with my body?" Her speech was slurred, which confirmed something was seriously wrong.
她打了911，救护车来了，把她送到最近的急诊室，他们说她 中风. Every second matters after a 中风, so she was lucky to notice a problem right away and get immediate help. If she had been asleep or not recognized how serious the situation was, she may not have received treatment in time.
When a 中风 patient arrives at the hospital within a specific timeframe, doctors can administer a clot-busting drug called TPA, or tissue plasminogen activator, 这样可以分解血块，大发娱乐恢复大脑或身体其他部位的血液流动. Doctors commented on how lucky Kristen was to have arrived in time to get the TPA, which may have saved her life. But she didn't exactly feel lucky.
"I was laying there paralyzed on the left side and I didn't feel lucky at the time. But I didn't lose my eyesight, 说话的能力, or any of my cognitive functions, so it could have been much worse,克里斯汀说。.
由于克里斯汀没有家族史，也没有常见的危险因素，她中风的原因一直是（现在仍然是）未知的. 她最初在重症监护室呆了几天，然后就去了养老院. 出院后, 她回家了，但最后又因为血栓和脑出血又住了三次医院.
作为持续治疗的一部分，克里斯汀最终去了拉斯维加斯地区的两个独立的康复中心, but neither provide the care she needed. 每次她出院回家，她都是完全独自一人，部分瘫痪. She felt both helpless and hopeless. 她想重新入院，只是为了有人帮她做一些日常生活活动，比如洗澡, 吃, and using the bathroom. She had good insurance, but didn't get any support to set up home health care, and didn't know how to access the services she needed.
克里斯汀说：“我非常非常想自杀，非常想自杀，我甚至开始计划自杀。. Stroke survivors often have severe headaches and anxiety, and doctors prescribe strong pain and anti-anxiety medications to help. 她在想，要把多少酒精和这些药片混在一起，才能结束自己的生命. “看起来应该大发娱乐我的医务人员真的在和我作对, 这太可怕了,她说.
There was one silver lining, though. Before the 中风, Kristen had reconnected with an old friend, Doug. They had worked together about 35 years ago composing music. He was a sound engineer with a studio at his home, and she had reached out to discuss working together again.
道格和他的妻子朱迪听说她住院了，在她康复期间来陪她. Her bills were piling up and her landlord was threatening eviction. She was waiting on a payout from her insurance company, but in the meantime utilities, 租金, and other payments were still due. 其他朋友帮她付房租，这样她就有地方住了，但这不是一个长期的解决方案.
Then Doug and Judy suggested Kristen come stay at their home in Utah. 他们建了一个房间，可以满足她的需要，并带她去看医生. 中风之前, Kristen had only met Judy once over dinner, and her professional work with Doug was many decades ago. However, the couple soon became like family and she agreed to move in with them.
"They are just so generous and selfless, truly amazing people,克里斯汀说。. 道格和朱迪还建议克里斯汀去犹他大学健康中心的新诊所 克雷格·H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital that opened in 2020 in Salt Lake City.
不过，让她在拉斯维加斯的医生把她送到康复中心是一场战斗. 他们劝她再去疗养院，但她坚持要康复. Her caseworker in Las Vegas was not helpful, so she called admissions on her own and fought with her insurance to get accepted. 在医院让她出院之前，她还必须安排医疗运输.
当她第一次来到尼尔森康复医院时，她仍然在与抑郁症和自杀念头作斗争. However, the generosity of Doug and Judy was enough for her to decide to keep going. Then she got to U of U Health and her whole life changed. 在到达时, 与她之前在康复中心和养老院的经历相比，她注意到的第一个变化是工作人员.
"Everyone was so nice. 我告诉他们我奋斗到那里的经历，他们一直说很高兴我能去那里, and I deserved to be there,克里斯汀说。. She didn't feel the same way initially, but after meeting her new doctor she knew this was where she needed to be.
史蒂文Edgley, MD, is the director of 中风 康复 在大发娱乐. After starting his medical training to become an ophthalmologist, 他在28岁时经历了一次中风，并改变了他的医疗生涯，专注于中风的预防和康复. He knew Kristen had already been through several treatments at the hospital, 急性康复, and nursing homes prior to arriving at the Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital. He was the first provider who really knew what she was going through, which helped her to trust him and his team.
“对大多数人来说， 中风康复 is the hardest thing they will go through in their lives, 这需要巨大的毅力和一个有技能的团队来促进复苏,”医生说。. Edgley.
Dr. 埃奇利和他的团队也知道克里斯汀一直在与抑郁症和自杀念头作斗争, and just how difficult that can be for so many 中风 patients. Medical teams often focus on the physical challenges of 中风康复, but the 精神 and emotional aspects are equally important.
“理解和治疗中风的情绪和心理方面是至关重要的. 病人正在哀悼丧失的功能，他们正在处理心理创伤. 不解决这些因素会让患者在一开始就处于严重的劣势,他说. “大发娱乐（在尼尔森康复医院）有一件非常独特的事情，那就是意识和理解这些真正困难的生活事件对心理和情感的影响. 大发娱乐有很棒的 psychologists and counselors who are part of our 中风康复 team."
Dr. Edgley还强调，康复治疗不仅仅是恢复身体功能. It's about doing everything possible to promote a better quality of life. "We're not just trying to get a patient out of the hospital and home, 大发娱乐真正考虑的是能够享受生活的长期影响——一个晚上在餐馆或电影, 能够花时间与所爱的人在一起或在社交场合——这些才是真正提高生活质量的事情."
首先，让患者控制自己的治疗，并让他们参与以团队为基础的方法，以突破他们认为在康复过程中可能实现的极限.
For Kristen, that whole-person approach to care really stood out. When she told them she was struggling with depression they didn't threaten to put her in a 精神 hospital; instead, 他们将她与心理健康专家联系起来，后者大发娱乐她制定了应对策略.
"It's such a well-rounded program, they treat every aspect—physical, 精神, emotional—and they are not judg精神,她说.
离开尼尔森康复医院后，克里斯汀搬回来和道格和朱迪住在一起. 她设定了在接下来的六个月里独立行走的目标，她的康复也在继续进展（即使有时感觉很慢）。. 她仍然会想起那些黑暗的日子，那时她只想结束自己的生命. Her 中风康复 hasn't been a straight line, it's had ups and downs, but she doesn't have those same feelings of hopelessness anymore.
"The most valuable thing you have is hope. To have hope is so precious and priceless, and that is wh在大发娱乐 gave me. I know there are better days ahead and people who care about me, so I want to be a beacon of light and talk about it so I can help others,她说.