Alfredic A.

A father of two beautiful girls, Alfredic enjoys living life to the fullest. Even at the young age of 29, he has had the opportunity to visit 42 states! He has an outgoing personality and likes to get to know people from all walks of life. He has experienced so much out of life and has always considered himself a happy, healthy person.

Until he began to experience alarming symptoms in his arms and legs, Alfredic rarely needed to go to the doctor. It began with numbness in his arms, which Alfredic described as “the feeling you get when your arm falls asleep.” After a few days, the numbness and tingling sensation began to run down his left leg. His condition progressively got worse and ultimately resulted in losing the ability to move most of his body.

Alfredic immediately called 9-1-1 and was quickly transported to the nearest hospital. He was admitted to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center to undergo tests and imaging. During his five-day stay, Alfredric was given a trial of steroids which allowed him to walk again. After making substantial progress he was discharged and returned home.

Within three days, Alfredic’s body began to shut down and he began experiencing paralysis and was only able to move his head. After returning to the hospital, they determined his inability to move as neurosarcoidosis, an incurable disease of the central nervous system. Though chronic, his condition could be improved with rehabilitation and a proper plan of care.

Alfredic endured a lengthy stay at Kaiser, but he was eventually referred to San Joaquin Valley Rehabilitation Hospital. He expressed his eagerness to get started with physical and occupational therapy.

With a long road ahead of him, Alfredic had full faith in the expertise of the SJVRH team and was ready to put in the work. During his stay, he regained control of his upper limbs and improved his endurance and coordination. Because of his success, he was able to transfer safely to and from his wheelchair. “I feel like the people I worked with pulled me through a lot,” he said.

To stay motivated, Alfredic kept words of encouragement on his mind. He wanted to let others know, “Don’t ever think it’s over, something may sound, look, or feel bad but as long as your mind is strong, you can do anything you want.”

With a detailed plan of care and a lot of effort, Alfredic was discharged to return home on his 30th birthday! He met all of his physical therapy goals and looks forward to making new goals at the SJVRH outpatient center. With great determination and new knowledge obtained from the SJVRH staff, he continues on his journey to getting back to better.