Why i-Ride STS...
Southwest Flight 1244 to Austin, Texas taxied down the runway, as Jeannette Priest, a diminutive red-haired woman settled comfortably into seat two-C. Smiling contentedly, she anticipated the upcoming visit with her daughter, Jackie. Little did she know how drastically her life would change by the next day.
The following evening Jeannette lay helplessly in an Austin hospital emergency room bed, waiting for a doctor to explain why she could not walk or talk. Stroke. "Time will tell," the physician intoned to her children standing near the bedside. "She may recover and she may not."
A few hours later another doctor, a nephrologist, told her, "Your kidneys are shutting down. They are currently working at seven percent. You have two choices — death or dialysis." Jeannette chose dialysis and initiated a long, tedious recovery.
She transferred to a rehabilitation hospital to begin the learning-to-walk-again process. Physical therapists worked daily with her to re-train atrophied arms and legs, while speech therapists taught her how to talk again. Of course, three times a week dialysis made recuperation a roller coaster ride.
Eventually, Jeannette moved into a nursing home, where she became the resident "walkie-talkie." Strength slowly returned to her body; however, each small gain lost ground after trips to dialysis. Trips on Capital Metro Special Transit became special outings from the nursing home. Riding the "lift" was a little exciting to someone, who hadn't been able to walk only a few months earlier. "STS" became a new way of life, a way to get back into the world of the living again.
Following months of rehabilitation and growth, Jeannette moved into her own small apartment. New "Rules for Living" now govern her life. A home health attendant visits her daily, helping with home chores and food preparation, but she feels like a "bird out of a cage."
"STS gives me wings," Jeannette said. "I can go to church or to see a friend, as long as I plan ahead. STS makes me feel like I'm living in the 'real' world again."
