Forty-eight-year-old Jeremey Houlton lives in Windsor, Colorado, where he works as a real estate agent. He has been married to his wife, Amy, for 24 years, and they have three daughters. Jeremey enjoys being part of the fitness community and goes to the gym regularly. He also likes working with his family’s real estate team, attending networking events, traveling, and trying new restaurants.

Recently, after waking up, Jeremey fell. His speech was slurred and he experienced weakness in his left arm. After going to the hospital by ambulance, he was diagnosed with a stroke caused by a blocked artery in his neck. Following initial treatment at the acute care hospital, Jeremey was transferred to Northern Colorado Long Term Acute Hospital (NCLTAH) for continued critical care. His family chose NCLTAH because of its close proximity to their home.

When Jeremey arrived at NCLTAH, he was unable to sit up independently and could barely move his left leg. During his stay, he worked closely with his medical team to regain strength and stability so he could begin rehabilitation. Reflecting on that time, Jeremey says, “I felt safe and loved working with Drs. Salgado and Pearson. They were very attentive and genuinely cared about me.”

Over the course of a month, Jeremey progressed and his medical condition stabilized. He was then transferred to Northern Colorado Rehabilitation Hospital (NCRH) for specialized inpatient rehabilitation. NCRH holds a national certification in stroke rehabilitation from The Joint Commission, demonstrating the hospital’s commitment to achieving better outcomes for those patients.

Upon admission to NCRH, Jeremey was able to stand and walk with the use of handrails, but remained very unsteady. Together with the hospital’s interdisciplinary healthcare team, he developed a personalized rehabilitation plan that combined physical and occupational therapy to help him regain strength and stability.

Through physical therapy, Jeremey worked on transfers, standing, walking, and developing endurance. He especially enjoyed using the gym equipment. Occupational therapy focused on activities of daily living to help him safely manage tasks at home.

“I loved the amount of time I was able to spend in rehabilitation,” Jeremey says. “The staff were attentive. They helped me make rapid progress and got me moving again. Dr. Arrogante spent a lot of time with me, and the physical therapists were creative in helping me walk again.”

After 15 days at NCRH, Jeremey was discharged home with the ability to walk with a cane and go up and down stairs. He continued his recovery through the hospital’s outpatient therapy program, working to further improve his mobility.

“Outpatient rehabilitation was great,” he says. “It was consistent and helped me continue working on walking and stairs.”

Today, Jeremey is getting back to the gym. His current goals include completing the Manitou Incline for a second time (a one-mile hike featuring 2,744 steep steps), returning to playing the guitar, and traveling to Las Vegas with his parents and family.