Stroke Hits Home

My 82-year-old mother suffered a stroke last Monday. She passed out at a grocery store and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital (in San Jose). After the first few hours, her outlook was surprisingly good – verbally responsive and without any signs of paralysis. However, later in the day she began having trouble breathing, and her speech became slurred. Her CT scan indicated a large clot in the lower brain. Her chance of survival was now deemed to be 50%.

I had just spoken to her the day before, and all seemed fine. It was Father’s Day, and she was cheery and looking forward to dinner at my brother’s house. For an elderly woman, she was in relatively good health. She worked hard out in the yard, tending to her vegetables, shaping the shrubs, and keeping the weeds at bay.

Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States – behind heart disease and cancer. Its warning signs tend to be slurred speech, trouble seeing in one or both eyes, confusion and/or severe headache – none of which my mother displayed before fainting at the grocery store. In fact, my dad, who was with her at the time, had to work hard to convince the EMTs to send an ambulance right away – perhaps because her symptom history did not match those of a typical stroke victim.

I also know that time is of the essence in treating a stroke victim. There is a short window by which intervention can effectively avert permanent brain damage or death. My dad’s ability to get an ambulance to the scene probably saved her life.

Asian Americans are not necessarily at increased risk for stroke; however, stroke is an equal opportunity debilitating condition. Risk factors include but are not limited to tobacco use, hypertension, overweight and obesity, and heart disease. More information is available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I’m glad to say that my mom is making a remarkable recovery. Her speech is clear, she has a good appetite, and she’s strong enough to get out of the hospital bed on her own (against the nurses’ orders). Twenty years ago, her outcome may have been much different, but for all the complaints about high tech, low touch, overly expensive medicine, it can produce seeming miracles. The doctors used a catheter, guided by CT, to administer medication in the affected area of the brain and to clear the clot.

My mom is not out of the woods yet and has a few weeks of rehabilitation ahead of her, but she seems on the road to recovery. We’re thankful to the folks at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose for their rapid response and compassionate care.

- Doug Hirano, MPH, APCA Executive Director