I was talking to Dr. Terrence Glennon, physiatrist with Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago at Herrin Hospital the other day and something he said struck a chord in me. So I will repeat it here.

“Don’t go hide in the house if you had a stroke. Who cares if you slur a bit?” Glennon said.

Having played a lead role in 25-year-old Anna resident, Rachel Spiess’ stroke recovery - something I wrote about for the Sunday paper - Glennon said society is more and more open to folks who are differently abled.

“The literature is very clear that if you sit someone on a corner and don’t work with them, you miss the boat in terms of recovery,” Glennon said. “As scary and frightening as a stroke is, once you are stabilized medically, rehabilitation can make a big difference.”