LENEXA, Kan. — KSHB 41 News anchor Caitlin Knute is interested in hearing from you. Send her an e-mail.
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At one of our recent Let's Talk events, a Lenexa couple came to share their experience after one of them experienced a stroke.
"I just want everyone to try to find a way to get help if they need help," Melinda Lickteig told me.
She explained she felt fortunate she had a strong support system and great medical assistance, but worried about others who might not have that same level of support.
So, she said she wanted to share her story to advocate for other stroke victims.
It is a story that began a little over five years ago.
Melinda was at her job at Sunflower Elementary School in Lenexa, working as a paraprofessional, when she realized something was wrong.
"We finish snack, and I took the little boy that I was going to work with over to a seat. And we didn’t even get to a seat and I just fell on the floor," she recalled.
Luckily, a coworker recognized the seriousness of the situation and called 911.
The hospital confirmed she had suffered a stroke.
Once Melinda was stable, she was transferred to Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park where she spent more than a month recovering.
"That’s where I learned to walk again," Melinda said. "You’re learning to walk, you’re learning to do all of the things that you did when you were a little bitty baby."
She slowly made strides toward relearning even the most basic of skills, and she credits the rehab and the nurses who continued working with her at home for making a world of difference in her recovery.
"There are resources out there, and I know if you were feeling down, contact these people and they will help you," her husband Ken chimed in, noting how grateful he was for that medical support too.
I reached out to the sepsis and stroke coordinator at Menorah to pass along the couple's praise, and to learn more about the resources available to those recovering from a stroke.
"Menorah offers a lot of services at home. They will offer physical therapy, occupational therapy and then even some nursing care for other things they may need at home," Jordan Bauer with Menorah said.
Bauer said even if you have been treated and released from another hospital, you can still reach out to them for continuing care.
"We have a case management team that can help set up that patient with the services that they need, so just calling in and asking for case management, and then they can help direct them and send them to where they need to go," she added.
Melinda encourages other stroke survivors to reach out and ask for help, even if it is uncomfortable at first, noting that five years later, she is grateful for the progress she has made.
"I thank the Lord every day that I’m alive," Melinda said.
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