Steven Schledwitz

Steven came to NBRRH for rehabilitation after complications from brain surgery

Steven Schledwitz of Blanco, TX, is an extremely active 70-year-old who spends a lot of his time upkeeping and trimming 400+ trees on his five acres of property. Steven has been married to his loving wife, Kristy, for 45 years. Together, they enjoy spending time with their two children and four grandchildren and state that one of their favorite pastimes is “just being together.”

Steven lives with Parkinson’s disease, and to mitigate some of his symptoms, he underwent brain surgery to place a deep brain stimulator (DBS). Steven went home after surgery, but Kristy noticed he started to decline shortly after discharge. He began to slur his speech, couldn’t recall words, and wasn’t able to walk without assistance. Kristy quickly reached out to New Braunfels Regional Rehabilitation Hospital (NBRRH) to inquire about admission for intensive neurological rehabilitation. Kristy had a family member who received therapy at NBRRH and said their recovery was phenomenal.

“My loved one ranted and raved about the care,” Kristy stated. “I knew Steven would be successful here too!”

Steven was admitted to NBRRH to begin his recovery process. However, his rehab team had concerns and recommended Steven follow up with his surgeon. An MRI revealed edema of the bilateral frontal leads, as well as a diffuse ring enhancement and an intracranial abscess. Steven underwent another procedure to remove his deep brain stimulator (DBS). During the surgery, Steven was found to have an infection. He began antibiotic treatment and returned to NBRRH for continued rehab. Since the removal of the device, he has made significant improvements.

When Steven came to NBRRH, he had very specific goals that he identified in collaboration with his therapy team. “I wanted to be able to walk again without the use of a walker,” he stated.

Steven appreciated the team approach at NBRRH

After three weeks of hard work and determination, Steven has met almost every goal set and is on his way to a full recovery. He is walking long distances and strengthening core muscles with safety education from the therapy team. Steven also progressed with speech therapy and has shown significant improvement with organization, reasoning tasks, and delayed recall.

“A successful rehabilitation cannot be attributed to just one person on the team. It is a collective effort,” Steven said. “Every single staff member has been top-notch!”

Finally, Steven shared his thoughts on his time as a patient at NBRRH. “I’ve had a positive experience, and the environment here is welcoming.”