03/24/2026
His Story, told by his wife.
March 23, 2026
My husband, Richard, and I cannot say enough good things about the Piqua Brain and Body Integration Center.
Let me start by saying that Richard has never allowed his name or picture to be used; he is very private, but as I write this note, he said, “It is ok because people need to know about this place”.
We started coming here in September of 2024, after a severe brain aneurysm and bleed, leaving him paralyzed on the right side from head to toe, and with aphasia. We were told he would need to go to “a home,” thinking he would never improve. This was not an option for us. We were determined to find help, and that is when brought us here. When he started, he was in a wheelchair needing help to transfer. He was quiet, depressed, and did not understand what was happening, and wanted to know, “When will it go away?” He fell a couple of times during transfers to a chair lift and to the couch. I could not lift him, and we had to call for help in the night. He felt it was too much to bear. He has been coming 2 days a week to attend 2 therapy sessions, 1 neuroeducational Class, and 1 aquatic therapy session.
The improvement is tremendous. He can get off the floor alone now and no longer uses a chairlift. He is walking with just a cane, albeit very slowly, and uses an electric wheelchair only for safety, for longer trips to a store, or for other adventures that give him the freedom to roam.
During the warmer months, he walks one mile with his cane on a walking path. He isn’t able to use his right arm yet, but he is working on it and uses a scooter to garden with his left hand. His aphasia is still there, but he is so much better now’ he can hold a conversation, even though sometimes he freezes up. Considering he could not say “A-B-C” when he first started, it is amazing to see how far he has come. He puts in the work at home using a cross-body exercise bike for up to 10 miles a day and a manual stair stepper for 1000 steps a day, so he is motivated to get things moving. He has recently driven his truck out of storage to our home. He plans to start driving soon to visit our grandkids.
Richard looks forward to the structured physical therapy workouts; he does what is asked, and they are truly excited to see the improvements he makes. They help to remind him how far he has come, and this motivates him to do more. He is excited to show what he can do, in turn, they give him tips on using the right muscles so he can incorporate new things into his routine safely and with the most impact on improving his stability.
They explain every movement along the way, and when he wants to do more, they are all for it. From the start, he looked forward to conversations and laughs with everyone working with him. This alone helped with his confidence in speaking with others. He thought he sounded “stupid”, his words, but the neuro education class has helped him to understand aphasia; he knew what he wanted to say, but it was just difficult to get out. After working to find words through conversation and games, his ability to converse and feel more comfortable has improved; he doesn’t give up and stop talking, and he tries hard to get the words out. He has been going out to dinners weekly and playing cards with friends and family, which keeps him from getting bored but also keeps him involved. When we began, he couldn’t play the card game War for more than a few minutes, but now he consistently beats me at Rummy and Phase 10.
He really enjoys aqua therapy, the warm water, the stretching, and the continuously challenging exercises he is exposed to every week. I watch as it gave him the confidence to start using the stairs again and helped him realize what he could do out of the water. He has told many people that they must try aqua therapy. He strongly believes it has been a big help. He said it felt really good, and slept so well after each session at the start. Now, he just goes home and does even more in our homemade workout room.
The staff, from the front door and throughout the facility, including those he does not always work with directly, have made him feel so comfortable that he never wants to miss a day and looks forward to talking with each of them on every visit. There have been many good laughs. And the many reminders of the improvements so far have most definitely motivated him to keep going. The attention he has received from the very caring, sincere, and friendly staff has provided the motivation he needs to get through this very rough journey. Their conversations and looking forward to seeing each of them in my opinion, kept depression at bay.
Sue
Grateful for the staff and their ability to help Richard.
