{"id":273847,"date":"2024-09-09T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-09T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=273847"},"modified":"2024-09-09T16:58:41","modified_gmt":"2024-09-09T16:58:41","slug":"veterans-rehabilitation-has-personal-significance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=273847","title":{"rendered":"Veteran\u2019s rehabilitation has personal significance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Donald Strup, a Veteran and bilateral amputee, has faced unimaginable challenges, but with determination and an unwavering commitment to reclaiming his life, his journey through rehabilitation has become a beacon of hope for all Veterans.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>
Veteran Donald Strup<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Strup, who lost his right leg in 2010 and his left in 2023 due to service-related injuries, entered the Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation Program at North Texas VA<\/a> with a singular goal: to walk again. For Strup, this goal carries profound personal significance.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy goal is to eventually learn to walk. I want to be able to walk my daughter down the aisle at her wedding next year. That\u2019s what keeps me going,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n

A rigorous rehabilitation process<\/h2>\n

Strup\u2019s rehabilitation is part of the Amputation Specialty Program, tailored to the needs of Veterans who have undergone amputations. His daily routine includes intensive therapy aimed at helping him adapt to prosthetics, a process that requires waking up muscles that have been dormant for years.<\/p>\n

\u201cStanding up and balancing on prosthetic legs was the hardest thing I\u2019ve ever done. You have to learn to control your muscles in ways you never thought possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Pictured above, Strup performs intensive therapy with the help of Jessica Menth, occupational therapist. <\/a><\/p>\n

Overcoming challenges<\/h2>\n

One of the significant challenges Strup faces is his weight. Carrying extra weight increases the difficulty of balancing on prosthetics and places additional strain on his body during therapy. Despite these obstacles, he has shown remarkable perseverance, dedicating himself to strengthening his upper body and improving his endurance.<\/p>\n

\u201cMuch of his therapy includes upper body strengthening and endurance training,\u201d said Giselle Rodriguez, physical therapist. \u201cThis is vital for him to support and balance himself when using adaptive devices like short walkers or parallel bars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Strup\u2019s therapy schedule is demanding, involving a minimum of three hours of intense therapy each day. Yet, he approaches each session with determination, knowing that every effort brings him closer to his goal.<\/p>\n

Supportive rehabilitation team<\/h2>\n

\u201cThe team is incredible. They\u2019ve given me hope and the tools I need to keep pushing forward.\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As Strup prepares to transition from inpatient to outpatient therapy, the support he has received from the team will continue to guide him. While the road ahead remains challenging, Strup is confident in his ability to achieve his dream of walking his daughter down the aisle.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have a desire to stand up again on your own two feet, although they\u2019re artificial, you have to at least give it a try. I\u2019m 69 and I still want to walk. That\u2019s my goal and I\u2019m not giving up,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Donald Strup, a Veteran and bilateral amputee, has faced unimaginable challenges, but with determination and an unwavering commitment to reclaiming his life, his journey through rehabilitation has become a beacon of hope for all Veterans. Veteran Donald Strup Strup, who lost his right leg in 2010 and his left in 2023 due to service-related injuries, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":273849,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,147],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-273847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-rehabilitation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/273847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=273847"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/273847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":273850,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/273847\/revisions\/273850"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/273849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=273847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=273847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=273847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}