Index Article

Bindner begins amazing recovery
By Laura Uhlmansiek
Published: Thursday, March 18, 2004

They thought they would lose her.

But Linda Bindner, lecturer in English, has amazed doctors, friends and family with her turn-around recovery from a stroke five weeks ago that left her entire body paralyzed, except for her eyes.

"Linda's recovery is a singularity," said her husband Don Bindner, visiting assistant professor of mathematics. "In statistics, we would say Linda is an extreme outlier. Her recovery is so good it just doesn't fit with the rest of the data."

Linda suffered a stroke Feb. 7 that damaged her brain stem and left her in a condition that doctors diagnosed as Locked-In Syndrome. The syndrome is a rare neurological disorder that leaves patients mute and paralyzed but fully conscious, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Web site.

With Linda's ability to move her eyes and communicate, she qualified to be transferred to the Rusk Rehabilitation Center in Columbia, Mo., on Feb. 19, said family friend Jen Creer, a former University instructor in English.

Don said that since then, Linda has been undergoing physical, speech and occupational therapy, and her progress has been tremendous. She slowly is regaining her arm and leg movement, her ability to speak and eat pureed foods, and her ability to walk with her weight supported in a harness, he said.

"She is always going to be a person that had a brain injury, and there are going to be things that are hard," Don said. "I'm very optimistic that she is going to recover reasonable life skills, that she will be able to speak and be understood, and that she will be able to walk."

Don Bindner said Linda has gained the sensation back in most of her body, but making the slightest movement is very difficult for her.

"I asked her if it is like when you fall asleep on your arm and you can just barely move it and it's an absolute effort, and then it moves a little bit," he said. "You go to move it, and you get a little tiny movement or you don't get any movement."

Her therapy sessions require a lot of effort and can leave her frustrated, especially her speech therapy, Don said.

"Sometimes she'll go to say something, and it will not come out the way she wanted it in her mind, not even close, and she'll laugh at how absurd it was when it came out of her mouth," he said.

Although some days can be tough, they still manage to keep a sense of humor through it all, Don said.

"We goof around and have fun a lot," he said. "She can say something, and I can't understand it, so I'll make up some dialogue for her, and she'll laugh. Or I'll tease her about if it is unfair to tickle a paralyzed woman."

Creer said the response from the community has been a tremendous help.

"It has just been terrific who has come through, people we know, people we don't know," Don said.

Creer said the fund-raising event friends and family hosted Feb. 20 at the Dukum Inn was a huge success and exceeded what they had hoped for to help raise money to help the family cover medical and child-care costs.

"It was amazing," Creer said. "We had 180 people come, and people started coming through the door before we were even ready. Don's family came, and his mom just had tears in her eyes to see so many people there."

Creer said this fund will be helpful because the costs for medical care will continue to add up for years.

Linda's colleagues also have showed a lot of support not only by supporting and helping the family but also by covering for her classes.

Dennis Leavens, professor of English, is teaching her Literature for Children class and said the response from professors has been a great help.

"The whole faculty has been very supportive," he said. "In fact, we have had more offers for volunteers than there are spots, so it has just been wonderful."

Leavens said many of the students were concerned about Linda.

"I think the students were quite upset, and many of the students in Children's Lit wanted Linda as a teacher and wanted what she brings to the classroom with her effervescent personality," he said.

Freshman Becca Maddox said she was upset when she heard about Linda's stroke because Linda was her professor for World Literature last semester.

"At the beginning, we didn't know if she would improve at all," Maddox said. "And now with everything that is happening, it all just seems so amazing and [my friends and I] are so thankful for that, and I hope that she just keeps improving."

Don said he is heartened by her progress and is optimistic for the future.

"Having her in her own clothes and having her be able to sit up and look around and turn her head and have her be able to say 'Fine' when you ask her 'How are you?' is wonderful," he said.