A Complicated Case for Physical Therapy in Sevierville

Covenant Health Therapy Center – Sevierville fights for patients’ quality of life

On a winter night just a few weeks after successful knee replacement surgery, Barbara Velliquette suffered a mild stroke on her left side. “I didn’t even know I had one,” she says. “I woke up, and I couldn’t hardly walk.”

She still remembers the tests she went through and the moment when she found out what had happened to her. “It was a shocker,” she says.

Covenant Health Therapy Services - Sevierville patient

Barbara hadn’t yet finished physical therapy for her right knee following surgery, and suddenly she was also contending with weakness on her left side. Her body had taken a one-two punch, but Barbara wasn’t down for the count.

She fought for a comeback. The physical therapists at Covenant Health Therapy Center – Sevierville joined her in that fight, picking up where joint replacement therapy before the stroke had left off.

“You go through all the equipment they’ve got,” Barbara says, emphasizing that it was hard work, but she was determined, and the physical therapists were determined, too. They combined expertise with encouragement to help Barbara get back on her feet.

“They were just nice,” Barbara says of the therapy center staff. “They explained things to me, they helped me, they were just pleasant people.”

A Personalized Plan

The experienced and credentialed therapy experts at Covenant Health Therapy Center – Sevierville develop personalized plans for each patient. That was important when Barbara arrived in a wheelchair with a complicated case.

“Having a stroke just after having a total knee replacement wasn’t in her plan,” says Sara Albert, PT. “But we treat many diagnoses, including orthopedic and neurological patients and even patients who are both.”

Each of the physical therapists at Covenant Health Therapy Center – Sevierville has 25 years of experience or more. Albert says the therapy plan that was specifically created for Barbara focused on helping her regain mobility, balance, and strength in her right knee as well as her left leg, which was affected by the stroke.

Going from a wheelchair to a walker and from a walker to a cane, Barbara’s confidence and independence were strengthened, too.

Going Forward with a Grateful Heart

Barbara is grateful for the expert care she’s received and for the many people who have supported her through a double recovery. That support has ranged from cards to kindness to food.

She’s also grateful for her husband, who stepped up to take care of their home when the unexpected happened and Barbara was literally knocked off her feet. Today she can handle some of those household tasks on her own.

Doug Velliquette intends to give his wife as much help as she needs for as long as she needs it because she’s been a blessing and a help to him through their 40 years of marriage.

“That’s the way life should be,” Doug says, “be there for each other and be supportive, and do the best you can.”

Having been through a knee replacement and stroke in less than two months and having lost 70 pounds in the process, Barbara’s life has changed dramatically this year. She continues to make progress, and she’s not giving up.