”
I used to have a life,
”
he stated. That changed in one day. He went from being the
active manager of a Santa Clara County Mental Health Dept. juvenile
hall facility to that of being an invalid, forced after an 11-day
hospital stay to do a year-long stint in Valley Pines Retirement
Home, Morgan Hill, where speech therapy and physical exercises
helped in the recovery process.
“I used to have a life,” he stated. That changed in one day. He went from being the active manager of a Santa Clara County Mental Health Dept. juvenile hall facility to that of being an invalid, forced after an 11-day hospital stay to do a year-long stint in Valley Pines Retirement Home, Morgan Hill, where speech therapy and physical exercises helped in the recovery process.
As he related the story of a heart attack followed by a stroke that left his right side paralyzed, Jack Hennessey, 68, credits the staff and activities offered at the Centennial Recreation Senior Center and his family members with supporting his efforts to regain speech and motor skills.
“Words cannot express the feeling that I have when I go to the senior center,” Hennessey said.
Hennessey, who supervised two psychiatrists, 14 clinicians and two clerks in his managerial position, entered a hospital for a routine angiogram. He said he suffered a heart attack two hours after the angiogram and was treated with anticoagulants. Then the stroke occurred. He woke up 11 days later, wondering what had happened.
He has no memory of these events. His right side was paralyzed and he had lost his ability to speak.
“I thought people couldn’t understand my speech,” he said, “like I was speaking a foreign tongue.” He could hear himself, but wasn’t saying what he was thinking. The paralysis that immobilized his right side was weird, he added.
Hennessey said he thought he was walking but it was as if his right leg was amputated.
“I could feel my right leg with my left hand, but had no feeling in the leg. I thought I was hunting around for another leg.”
He was forced to retire.
His mobility is limited, but he gets around with the help of a cane. Driving a car is out of the question, but he trolls the downtown area in his motorized chair. It has an eye-catching orange flag that sticks up above his head and plenty of space for groceries. Going to the movies in his chair is a regular event. He drives it right into the theater for a weekly movie date.
Hennessey takes his time and carefully forms his thoughts into words and sentences. His vocabulary is extensive and he lets one know if he is misunderstood. An engaging grin, a bright wit, healthy complexion and shining blue eyes that get misty when he recalls the devastating event and when praising center staff members, are qualities that impress one when talking to Hennessey.
His first visit to the senior center was to enroll for an Osher Life Long Learning course that studied Jewish comedians. A friend suggested that he take a look at what else the center had to offer. He opted to play bridge Monday and Friday, after eating lunch in the cafe. Now he’s a lunch regular – five times a week.
“I never had so many friends,” he said.
The food is always an attraction; the staff comes in for special praise.
“Susan Fent and Denise Melroy work hard and they make all the seniors feel comfortable,” Hennessey said. “We appreciate them so much. They enrich our lives and enjoy doing this and it shows.”
“When I go to the senior center, I have a life again,” concluded Hennessey.
Peggy Thompson is a retired journalist who lives in Gilroy with her husband, dog and untold wild creatures. She regularly attends the Morgan Hill Senior Center. Reach her at cl***@****ic.com.
