Antone's story
Antone “Tony” Baioni, 48, lives in Mason with his wife, Karyn, and their high school-age son. When he’s not working as an IT manager, Tony enjoys gardening and building Legos. In otherwise good health, Tony unexpectedly fell out of bed one day. Immediately recognizing his drooping face and left-side weakness as signs of a stroke, Karyn called 911. At the hospital, Tony had no recollection of what had happened and was frustrated and depressed about his inability to move his left arm and leg.
Upon Tony’s discharge from the acute care hospital, the couple chose TriHealth Rehabilitation Hospital to continue his recovery journey. Upon admission, Tony’s goal was to be able to walk and go home with his family.
Tony’s physical and occupational therapy teams immediately began working to improve his strength and coordination, both individually and in group therapy sessions. “The group therapy was very helpful because I met other people in similar situations. The therapists were so encouraging and they really motivated me to keep trying, I wouldn’t be where I am now without them,” Tony shared.
Although he had been told by his care team that foot movement and hand grip were last to return, this happened early on for Tony which further motivated him to keep pushing. Karyn also played a huge role in his recovery as did other family members who visited daily.
As Tony’s stay at TriHealth Rehabilitation Hospital came to a close, Karyn participated in family training and Tony’s physical and occupational therapists conducted a home visit to ensure all appropriate safety accommodations were in place for his return home.
Upon discharge, Tony was able to walk with a cane and planned to continue to build his strength and coordination through outpatient physical therapy. He most looked forward to returning home to life with his wife and son, and expressed gratitude to his therapists stating, “This team of people really helped me find my new normal.”