Michael Popham

After spending a nice holiday with his family, Michael Popham began taking down the Christmas decorations. While walking one of the boxes down to the basement, Michael missed a step. He fell five feet, hitting his head in the process.

Although Michael didn’t experience issues right away, later that night he got sick and started vomiting. The next morning his wife took him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). After several days in the hospital, Michael’s physicians made arrangements for him to be transferred. He was admitted to Southern Indiana Rehabilitation Hospital and immediately began an intense, individualized therapy program.

When he first arrived, Michael spent a week in inpatient therapy. The staff was very attentive, checking on him every hour. Michael knew that his condition presented different issues to work through, but he was confident that SIRH was the best place for his recovery. “I really enjoyed my room and I was treated great by the staff,” he said.

With some progression, Michael was released from the inpatient rehabilitation facility. He continued his care with the outpatient therapy department at SIRH. Michael’s speech therapists helped him with memory recall using different words and sentences. Using the parallel bars and exercise bicycle, his physical therapists worked on building his strength.

Michael worked with his occupational therapists on everyday tasks that he wanted to be able to do at home. “Krista and Jennifer had me doing everything! They had me working on things like grocery lists and light housework.” They also helped Michael with his goal to be able to drive again, preparing him for the driving exam.

Motivated to get back to his normal life, Michael is determined to complete his recovery goals. He looks forward to things like being able to drive again so he can go back to work. “I feel mentally and physically stronger as a result of my therapy at SIRH.”