DENISON, TX - "I just had a feeling something was wrong."

Ashley Philpott is 50 years old and a father to five children. He was a cabinet maker for 35 years, and was working as a kitchen and bath designer for Home Depot until the day that changed everything.

"I just woke up in the morning, real early in the morning and I was dragging my right foot. I thought maybe I slept on it wrong so I sat down on the couch and I fell back asleep. About two hours later, I got up again and I knew there was something wrong because my whole body felt like it was on fire," Philpott said.

When Ashley arrived at the Reba McEntire Center for Rehabilitation he did not have movement in his entire right side. Now, just seven days later, his progress is nothing short of remarkable.

"He knew that going home immediately from the hospital was not going to be an option, and he is very, very motivated to get better," said Jennifer Hamons, a physical therapist assistant at the Reba Center. She works with Ashley for 45 minute sessions, three times a day.

"He's a very young man. He was very independent prior to this, provider for his family. When he first came into Reba Rehab, he required max assist which means he was doing less than 25 percent of the activity himself," Hamons said.

In addition to physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy are part of Philpott's rehab as well. Kathy Barker, his speech language pathologist, used some unconventional methods.

"I brought in pictures of my bathroom so that he could tell me what I would do if I wanted to remodel. And he had some very good ideas and I'm a little bit worried about my bathroom at this point so he did a great job," said Barker.

If there's one thing that Ashley takes away from this experience that he wants to share with people everywhere, what would it be?

"Take care of yourself and if something is wrong go to the doctor, go to a real good place, because that makes a difference whether you're going to walk again. You just keep going because you've got that goal in your head and you're going to reach that goal no matter what," he said.

What's Ashley Philpott's goal?

"I want to get the way I used to be."

Visit: www.texomamedicalcenter.net/Hospital-Services-R-Z/Stroke for more information about strokes, or the Reba McEntire Center for Rehabilitation.