Stroke rehab strengthens couple’s bond

When Doug Hawk had a stroke on Feb. 11, 2023, he and his wife, Cathy, were leading what they described as “separate lives.”

Three years later, they credit their rehabilitation journey as patient and caregiver with both helping Doug regain function and making their marriage “stronger than ever.”

1 day, 15 strokes

At the time of Doug’s stroke, Cathy worked full-time in Bethlehem while also serving on the Parryville Borough Council. Meanwhile, Doug worked for the borough of Parryville. Aside from that, they had little in common.

“We just did not have a good marriage,” Cathy said. “He did his part and I did mine. We lived in the same house. We were basically roommates.”

“We just coexisted,” Doug said.

After they went to the store on that day in February, Cathy found Doug outside waiting for her.

“He was just leaning against the car, holding onto the cart,” Cathy said.

Doug began feeling unwell while in the store. When they arrived home, the right side of Doug’s face and mouth was drooped, and he could not open the car door with his right arm. Cathy rushed him to the hospital.

That day, Doug had 15 strokes, losing function on his right side and the ability to speak.

Doug felt the burden of his situation initially when he realized he could not speak or move one whole side of his body. But he prayed and said he realized God was telling him it was not his time.

At that point, Doug, a Marine Corps veteran, shifted his outlook.

“Look around you and you will always find something to stay motivated,” Doug said. “I am a fighter. Attitude matters. There is no advantage to being angry.”

‘He came out with so much success’

When the time came for Doug to begin rehabilitation after the stroke, Cathy insisted on Good Shepherd Rehabilitation.

“I interned at Good Shepherd while at Penn State University studying to be a physical therapist,” Cathy said. “I know the history and reputation Good Shepherd has. It is the only place for rehabilitation, in my opinion.”

With Cathy working to make it happen, the Carbon County resident traveled 30 miles from home and entered Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital after his Feb. 2023 stroke for inpatient rehabilitation. He received physician and nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and more.

“The staff was fun, gentle, understanding and amazing.”

Cathy Hawk

During his stay at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital, Doug grew stronger and re-learned different daily activities.

“They taught me how to get dressed and get in and out of the car,” Doug said. “I also had speech therapy in the morning and at night. They worked me all day.”

Good Shepherd’s team also worked with Cathy to coordinate Doug’s care, accommodating her full-time work schedule to meet with her.

“I would go from work over to Good Shepherd and meet with different people that were still there,” she said. “They would have me come at various times to meet with therapists and staff to talk about Doug’s care and how to help him. They taught me what to do as a caregiver. The staff was fun, gentle, understanding and amazing. He came out with so much success.”

Doug also learned skills for what to do and not do once he went home as part of his rehabilitation.

“They took me home for practice, and I would try to do certain things, and they would tell me what to do and what not to do,” he said.

‘They gave him a feeling of self-confidence’

When Doug needed additional outpatient rehabilitation after his discharge, the couple made it clear that they wanted to return to Good Shepherd.

“It was only ever Good Shepherd because of what he experienced during his inpatient stay,” Cathy said.

Doug began outpatient therapy at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation – Hyland Center on the South Allentown Campus, where therapists helped him build strength and motion to improve his independence.

A special stationary bike at Hyland Center using muscle stimulation helped Doug pedal and build strength. Meanwhile, aquatic therapy exercises like squats in Hyland Center’s warm-water pool helped Doug practice standing up and sitting down. Doug also used robotics to work on walking and he saw Benjamin R. Scoblionko, MD, a Good Shepherd outpatient physiatrist, to receive Botox® injections that help treat spasticity (stiff muscles) caused by the stroke.

“The team at Hyland was very engaged and told him what to expect and what they were going to do,” Cathy said. “One of his biggest fears was falling and not getting up himself so they worked on that. They gave him a feeling of self-confidence again to be able to do things on his own.”

Cathy also has gained confidence in leaving him alone because of that work, she said.

They have encountered their share of obstacles while walking this path.

During his outpatient physical therapy, Doug developed lymphedema, where fluid accumulates because the lymphatic system is not working well and causes swelling in various parts of the body, primarily the arms and legs.

They went to Good Shepherd Rehabilitation – Laurys Station and Good Shepherd Rehabilitation – Schnecksville, where Cathy learned how to massage the lymph nodes and ease Doug’s swelling.

With the lymphedema under control, Doug wants to keep working on his strength.

“I’d be happy to walk again, but I’ll take what I can get,” Doug said. “I would like to be able to stand up regularly.”

““My outlook on life has changed through all of this. Everything is new all over again.”

Doug Hawk

Continuing the journey together

Ongoing, chronic effects of Doug’s stroke require Cathy and Doug to work together as a team in ways that they never would have beforehand.

“I used to be a jack of all trades,” Doug said. “I could just do anything. Now, I know how to do it, but I can’t. She helps me a lot. I would not be anywhere without her.”

Doug will tell Cathy how to fix plumbing and electrical issues around the house. Then, she will serve as his hands and perform the work.

“He is so patient with me,” Cathy said. “We have such great teamwork now. I feel like I have seen strengths in myself I did not know I had.”

Doug’s physical condition is not the only thing that changed during the last three years.

“My outlook on life has changed through all of this,” Doug said. “Everything is new all over again.”

Both have leaned on their faith through this journey.

“The biggest battle is discouragement, but you cannot give up,” Doug said. “You must take it one day, one hour, one minute at a time and know you are not alone even though sometimes it may seem like you are. You have a friend who will stick closer than a brother, Jesus. He will listen, so stay positive.”

Cathy agreed.

“My trust in the divine Good Shepherd has given strength for me and Doug as we navigate this new journey,” Cathy said. As for their marriage, Doug and Cathy say they have laughed more in the last three years than they did in the first three decades.

“We found each other,” Doug said. “I am so grateful for Cathy. I would not be anywhere without her.”

For Cathy, Doug’s stroke and the last three years have served a greater purpose in her mind.

“God used this to draw us closer,” Cathy said. “I love what we have developed.” Now, they enjoy dining out together and spending more time together, including when they travel to therapy sessions at Good Shepherd.

“There is no place like Good Shepherd,” Cathy said. “They have equipment no other place has. In every single department, the staff has a passion for what they do, who they do it with and for whom they do it. For them, it is not just a job. There is something different about Good Shepherd.”

Doug agrees, saying Good Shepherd “was everything I could hope for and more.”