‘It’s definitely contributed to my wellbeing’: N.S. man grateful for new technology available at QEII

A Halifax man says he’s starting to feel like himself again after suffering a stroke over the winter.

Kris Johnston is starting to feel like himself again after suffering a stroke this past winter.

The 42-year-old says he’s thankful for the technology available at the QEII Health Sciences Centre that helped him regain his mobility.

“February 10th of this year I suffered a hemorrhage stroke while at work,” he explains. “I was on a roof working in Bridgewater. I lost all mobility, basically, on my left side of my body.”

Johnston spent 10 days at the infirmary before being moved to the rehabilitation centre until he was released in May.

“Basically, called this place home for the entire time,” he adds. “Learned how to do a lot of things that we take for granted, you know, from putting my socks on to learning how to walk again.”

These days, he visits the QEII’s Upper Extremity Performance Centre three times a week - a space newly opened and funded by the QEII Foundation.

“It’s unbelievable from what I was at from when I first arrived,” Johnston says. “It took a team of three people just to get me here doing physio, to now I’m able to walk to my outpatient program. So, it’s been incredible.”

“Having a new modern space funded by the QEII Foundation and the donors has allowed us to see increased motivation by people who come into a new space,” explains occupational therapist Lindsay Edwards. “They feel like they’re working, and they are working with the newest technology to allow them to continue to focus on their recoveries.”

Edwards says the new technology allows patients, like Johnston, to reach their goals that much faster.

“One of the new pieces of technology that the QEII Foundation funded was virtual reality. So, it’s a program that allows the patient to engage in tasks like grooming their pet or making breakfast or grocery shopping,” she adds. “So they practice the arm and hand movements to do those tasks through the simulation in the game.”

“The QEII has been excellent. My experience, so far, has been amazing,” Johnston says. “People have been amazing, the space that has been created by the QEII Foundation has been amazing, and it’s definitely contributed to my wellbeing and getting better.”

Johnston says he is motivated to keep pushing the limits in his recovery, thanks to the quality of care, support and technology available at the QEII Health Sciences Centre.

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