Admission Date: 9/28/18
Admitted from: Stony Brook hospital
Discharge Date: 10/22/18
Discharged to: Home
Length of Stay: 1 month
Reason for Stay: Craniotomy for a brain tumor
How did this patient hear about St. James: Stony Brook recommended it

Mrs. Eileen Stampoulis arrived at St. James Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center on September 28th, 2018, from Stony Brook hospital. Mrs. Stampoulis had a craniotomy for a brain tumor in Stony Brook. Before she had the operation, she went for cataract surgery because she had lost vision in one eye. She could not see after the surgery, so Dr. Cobing sent her for an MRI and it was discovered that she had a brain tumor in her frontal lobe “that was the size of her fist”. She was not able to move her body that well when she was first admitted. She was a great candidate for rehabilitation because she was able to regain her strength and recover from the craniotomy. Mrs. Stampoulis was not in any pain when she arrived here at St. James.

After the operation, she stayed at Stony Brook for a few weeks. The hospital recommended St. James for her rehabilitation and she couldn’t have chosen a better place, as Mrs. Stampoulis and her husband, Peter, live in Port Jefferson.

The entire interdisciplinary team was ready for Mrs. Stampoulis when she arrived. Within the first 24 hours, she was greeted by nursing, therapy, concierge, administration, and many other staff members. She had a wonderful therapist named Terry who really had an important impact on her rehabilitation journey. Terry evaluated her upon admission. Mrs. Stampoulis arrived to St. James unable to move much of her body, but was able to verbally communicate.

Mrs. Stampoulis’ first week was very eventful. Therapy worked close with her to get her body moving again. At her own pace, she was able to regain her strength and start moving about in the wheelchair. She showed great signs of improvement after the first week. She never thought she would be able to do much in a short time period.

Over the next few weeks, Mrs. Stampoulis showed much improvements. She gained the strength to move about the facility on her own. She continued with therapy up until she was being discharged. She worked closely with her speech therapist because her speech was affected from the craniotomy.

The goal with therapy was to get her to walk again, eat on her own, and to be able to do everything that she was doing before she had the operation. At first, she didn’t have much faith, but after her experience at St. James, she was forever grateful. Towards the end of her therapy, She was able to walk with a cane, write her name, and was able recite anything that was told to her.

Mrs. Stampoulis couldn’t have been happier once she found out that was going home. She wanted to say goodbye to everyone that had an impact on her. She was very happy about all the connections she had here. She was proud of therapy because they physically put her back on her feet. One of the biggest reasons she loved it here at St. James was the attitude of the employees. Whatever situation people are in, she loved the fact that everyone was here to help, especially with a wonderful attitude. One staff member that made her feel more comfortable was her therapist, Terry. She always had a smile on her face and had a “told it as it is” mentality, something Mrs. Stampoulis appreciated from a motivational standpoint. She loved her attitude and made her feel like a person. She loved going to our music programs as well.

On October 22nd, Mrs. Stampoulis was discharged to her home in Port Jefferson. By the end of her rehabilitation journey, she was able to walk with little assistance and was able to do most of the things she could do before the operation. She was ecstatic about the progress that she had made. We, at St. James are so proud of Mrs. Stampoulis for all of her accomplishments she made here, and wish nothing but the best for her in the rest of 2018 and beyond!