feature story / 11 not have benefitted from TPa anyway.) After spending one day in the hos- pital, Snyder was transferred to a re- habilitation facility where he remained for a month, working on his speech, regaining use of his right arm and hand and learning to walk again. Since his stroke was a “motor only” presen- tation that paralyzed his right and dominant side, he had no vision, per- ceptual, or cognitive problems. Still, his appearance was shocking. Snyder’s friend Ted Westhelle recalls seeing him in rehab when he was at his lowest. “I was hoping he’d be able to walk again and I wondered if he’d ever be able to drive or get back to work.” Snyder adds, “My first concern was knowing that my brain was okay. Making sure I sounded like I was still competent.” He worked very hard to speak clearly, over-enunciating so his speech wouldn’t be slurred. He also scheduled a cognitive psychological evaluation. He felt that “whether or not I pass this is whether or not I can be a doctor.” His score was favorable – in fact, literally off the charts. Once he was home, Snyder con- tinued with physical therapy once a week, determined to rehab himself the rest of the time. Snyder is an old- school type of guy favoring bowties and little round eyeglasses. He found that he had to devise adaptive schemes to do simple things he had taken for granted. Without the dexterity to tie a bowtie he had to buy some that were pre-tied. And those light switches that he had converted to old-fashioned push buttons made the simple act of turning on the lights difficult. He starts to cry when he describes the many acts of kindness people be- stowed on him: the meal train orga- nized by his wife’s school, the phone calls, prayers, and cards. He wasn’t used to being on the receiving end and he said it has changed him and made him understand what it means to be vulnerable. About this time, he and Caroline had to make a decision. Before the stroke, they had planned a family trip to Italy in late June to attend a desti- nation wedding. In his present condi- tion, Snyder wasn’t sure he’d have the stamina or mobility to get around. In the end, they took the trip, bringing a collapsible wheelchair in case he got tired. But ancient Rome didn’t prove to be handicap-accessible, so Snyder walked everywhere. The trip turned out to be the best rehab he could’ve gotten. Focused on easing his way back to work, Snyder returned to his job at the Seton Hall Health Center. Next, he started seeing patients one day a week. To prepare, he had to master some ba- sics in order to do his job. Pozner mar- vels at his ingenuity for workarounds. Pulling a rubber glove off of his left hand, for instance, required an adap- tive technique – he slips a reflex ham- mer into it to take it off. Being able to wash his hands in a hygienically- acceptable manner took practice. And he had to learn to write, type, and do most everything left-handed. Sny- der says, “I do think I brought a very Type-A drive to my recovery. And in Hugh Snyder working in rehab to strengthen his walking ability. An old-fashioned kind of guy, Hugh Sny- der bought an antique wheel chair and loves it for its beautiful wood design. He's pictured here with dog Ginger.