The Stroke Treatment That Worked For Karen Quigenden

Dr. Tobinick Stroke Treatment: Karen’s Recovery Story of Hope and Healing

Life Before the Stroke

Karen Quigenden lived an active and full life on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. At 47, she was working in community care during the week and spending weekends at rodeos with her youngest daughter. Horses, long days, and caring for others defined her lifestyle. She considered herself healthy, fit, and unstoppable.

But everything changed one ordinary day while driving home from work.

The Day Everything Shifted

Karen began to feel strange behind the wheel. Her right hand stopped working, her mind clouded, and her car drifted across the road. Police noticed her erratic driving and tried to intervene. In a moment she’ll never forget, she crashed into their vehicle before collapsing.

Ambulance crews, firefighters, and eventually a helicopter rushed her to Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital. What followed was the shocking diagnosis: a hemorrhagic stroke.

In disbelief, Karen thought, “I’m only 47. I’m too young for this.” Doctors explained recovery wouldn’t be six or eight weeks like a broken bone — it would be measured in months and years.

The Rehab Battle

Karen spent weeks in the hospital, adjusting to life with her right side weakened and her speech impaired. Nights were sleepless, surrounded by the noise of other patients. When she was finally moved into her own room, it was the first chance to think clearly.

Rehab at Sunshine Coast University Hospital became her full-time job. Hours in the gym each day tested her body and her patience. She often described hitting a “brick wall” of fatigue — no matter how strong her will, her body forced her to stop.

Through it all, she missed her youngest daughter deeply. “The hardest part wasn’t the physio,” Karen recalled. “It was being away from her.”

Discovering Dr Tobinick’s Stroke Treatment

Years later, Karen heard about Dr Edward Tobinick in Florida and his off-label use of etanercept stroke treatment. The idea sparked hope but came with a heavy price tag — around $30,000 AUD. Determined, Karen sold her farm, booked the trip, and flew halfway across the world with her daughter.

In Dr Tobinick’s clinic, she was tested with tasks like drawing a clock, then received her first injection. At first, she noticed nothing until a mirror revealed the return of her dimple, a facial feature lost since her stroke.

Other changes soon followed:

• Normal sensation inside her mouth
• Relief from constant neck pain
• Clearer thinking and reduced brain fog
• A lighter feeling in her leg and improved mobility

By her third injection, improvements were undeniable. Karen described the difference as “going from kindergarten to grade two” in her ability to perform tasks.

Tools That Help Along the Way

While Dr Tobinick’s stroke treatment gave her a breakthrough, Karen also credits ongoing rehab tools. She regularly uses the Syrebo Hanson rehab glove, distributed by Banksia Tech, to improve hand function.

“It opens and closes my hand, stretches it out, and makes a real difference,” she explained. “I use it every week.”

A New Normal<