Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Life Changing Is >
  • Clinical Excellence Stories >
  • Neurosciences >
  • Curt C.
Life Changing Is
Clinical Excellence Stories
Cancer
Heart and Vascular
Neurosciences
Curt C.
Emerson
Dr. Friedlander
Ophthalmology
Orthopaedics
Pain Management
Pulmonology
Rehabilitation
Transplant
Trauma Care and Emergency Medicine
Women's Health
Employee Stories
Awards & Recognition
Share Your Story
Life Changing Is
Clinical Excellence Stories
Cancer
Heart and Vascular
Neurosciences
Curt C.
Emerson
Dr. Friedlander
Ophthalmology
Orthopaedics
Pain Management
Pulmonology
Rehabilitation
Transplant
Trauma Care and Emergency Medicine
Women's Health
Employee Stories
Awards & Recognition
Share Your Story
Curt C., Stroke Patient
Curt C., Stroke Patient

Life Changing Is ... Getting Back to What You Love

Curt C., Stroke Patient

"They had a plan for me from the moment I hit the door."

A physical therapist by trade, Curt feels a greater connection to some of the patients who he works with. That's because he was in their shoes as a stroke patient himself not long ago.

"It started off with profound dizziness and nausea, my left side went numb, and I had a hard time speaking," he says. "So I told my assistant, who helped me call 911. I recognized right away I was having a stroke."

Curt went first to a nearby hospital. It soon became clear he would need more advanced care, so he was transferred to UPMC Hamot. There, he received lifesaving care from UPMC Hamot's Comprehensive Stroke Center and neurointerventionalist, Charles Romero, MD.

"It seemed to me like they had a plan for me from the moment I hit the door," he says. "I don't think my gurney ever stopped from the time I arrived there, from testing, right to Dr. Romero in the cath lab. That saved my life. It was amazing.

“The most wonderful words I ever heard was when Dr. Romero said, 'There, I got it.'"

The team provided care once again after Curt suffered another stroke while he was recovering in the hospital.

Now, nearly two years later, he loves spending time with his wife and family. They ride bikes, hike, and walk their dogs together. An outdoorsman, Curt also hunts and fishes. And as an Ironman athlete, he hopes to compete in another triathlon someday.

"You've got to keep pushing forward," he says. "I don't quit. I still do my neurological exercises. I still do my visual exercises because they make me feel better."

Curt says the entire experience also helped to make him a better rehab therapist. He says he listens more and is more compassionate. In addition to focusing on a patient's physical well-being, he also helps them with what they're going through mentally.

"I think the main thing that I tell patients is a stroke or neurological event like this, it's forever," he says. "I mean, it changes you. You, sitting there right as you are right now, you're a product of your life history. And now we've got this life-changing event called a stroke. It changes you.

"We'd all like to go exactly back to what we were, and nobody can promise you that, but we can promise that life gets better the more you go."

At UPMC, Life Changing Medicine means getting back to what you love doing.


Find UPMC Neurosciences Services Near You



Stories like this one have helped UPMC earn local, national, and global honors over the years. See how our commitment to Life Changing Medicine continues to receive recognition.

UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE