Patient Journey
01
Mr. Siu (Construction Vehicles Company Owner)
On February 12, 2019, the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, my mother suddenly texted me to say that my father had fallen on the construction site, but I didn't know the details. When I arrived at the hospital, my father could still lift his arms and legs and speak simple sentences. However, four days later, his condition suddenly worsened, and he was completely paralyzed on the right side of his body. Eventually, at the age of 72, he had a severe stroke on the left side of his brain due to a lack of blood flow.
After my father's stroke, I learned from various sources that besides Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, and physical therapy could also help with recovery, and that combining treatments could have a better effect. However, because my father had fallen from a high place, he was not able to leave the hospital at that time. The public hospital did not actively arrange anything for us because they believed that my father's recovery potential was low. We were at a loss.
It wasn't until three months later when we transferred to a private facility that we met Mr.Elliot Cheng fromEC Stroke Rehabilitation . After four months of intensive and attentive treatment from Mr. Cheng, my father progressed from only being able to stand for a while to being able to walk with support for about 300 meters. I never imagined that such significant progress could be made in such a short time.
Each treatment process included Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), electro-acupuncture, and learning to walk. Mr. Cheng's goal was to help patients feel progress as soon as possible, so even if my father's gait was not ideal at first, he encouraged my father to take more steps, gain confidence, and then adjust his gait. This strategy was particularly successful for my father. Mr. Cheng's communication style was systematic, clear, empathetic, and he listened carefully. He also maintained flexibility in hand and foot training therapy based on my father's condition. These elements were especially important for patients and their families.
If anyone else is facing similar difficulties, I suggest not to delay or lose hope. It is worth paying attention to different treatment methods, just like a "cocktail mix" of different stimulations to the brain, which may bring unexpected effects. At the beginning, every doctor or therapist may tell you that no treatment method is guaranteed to work 100%, but if we try, the result may be 50-50, and if we don't try, it will be zero. I encourage everyone to try as long as there is a glimmer of hope. Persistence leads to hope, not the other way around.
I am grateful for EC Stroke Rehabilitation assistance to my father on his road to recovery and their unwavering support during this time. (Patient's daughter, Miss Siu)
02
Ms. So (Retired Nurse Officer)
My mother called me one morning to tell me that her left leg had seemed very weak. Diagnosed of an ischemic stroke, she received standard treatment and rehabilitation in an acute hospital and later a rehabilitation hospital. Improving from bed bound to being barely able to walk for few steps with a frame, she was discharged to the Pine Care Place.
My mother stayed at Pine Care Place for about 3 months, during which they took extremely good care of every aspect of her daily life and recovery. She also met Mr. Elliot Cheng, who was responsible for her intensive physiotherapy course and transcranial magnetic stimulation sessions.
Not only were these professionally administered, Mr. Cheng made sure that they were carried out in a relaxing and reassuring atmosphere, with good humour. From my personal observations, Mr. Cheng has mastered the art of getting the patient to work very hard without feeling undue pressure, and with full reassurance of support from him at all time. Fortunately, my mother appeared to have responded very well to the treatments, as a result of which she was basically able to walk again on the streets with just a stick by the time of her departure from Pine Care Place.
Another area in which Mr. Cheng was in my view invaluable was in his willingness to take time to discuss things with us. The knowledge that such an experienced professional, who also happens to be such a kind and easygoing person, was always available for discussions with us gave me a lot of peace of mind during a difficult period. (Mr. So, Ms. So's Son)
03
Mr. Wong (retired bank management)
At the end of December 2018, my father entered the hospital. The QE doctor said that he needed emergency surgery because of a torn blood vessel near the heart. After about 10 hours of surgery, the doctor said The operation was successful, but an ischemic stroke was caused by the sequelae of the operation. My dad stayed in the hospital for more than 4 months. He was transferred from the intensive care unit of the cardiology department to the intensive care unit. Due to a severe stroke, he could only stay in bed, eat with a throat, and be connected to a ventilator.
The doctor said that his condition is not suitable for acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine. We have been trying to find suitable physical therapy until we saw that some websites introduced many stroke patients who used Western transcranial magnetic stimulation (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) to help them recover. We found a few After visiting a nursing home for the elderly, we finally found Pine Care Home by chance. This nursing home can provide western high-end nursing care for stroke patients, and we got to know Elliot Cheng
When he was discharged from the QE hospital, my dad was not in good condition. He was bedridden for too long and could not sit for too long. He was quadriplegic and had poor speaking ability. He also needed to eat through the throat. Elliot Cheng patiently explained the details of the treatment, and as we deepened our understanding of TMS, he also followed up the progress of each treatment. We set a schedule for the second half of the year, hoping to improve my dad's limb control, speech and swallowing difficulties.
For more than half a year, Elliot Cheng has been working hard to help my father overcome difficulties carefully, and patiently answered our questions and provided us with different suggestions for reference.
As a result, my father made progress every time. With the help of Elliot Cheng, he could sit down for a long time, stand for a short time, walk, and speak and express himself. The most gratifying thing for us is My father does not need to feed the throat, and can eat by himself with the help of his family.
In November 2019, under the hard work of Elliot Cheng, we went home as expected. We have experienced high mountains and troughs this year, and we were lucky to meet Elliot Cheng. With his constant encouragement, care, and assistance, my dad was able to go home and the family walked together again. Once again, I want to say thank you here! (Mr. Wong's daughter)
