There is nothing typical about John Austin. · There is nothing typical about John Austin. A Benton...
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8 SPRING 2011 www.mercycare.org There is nothing typical about John Austin. A Benton County Sheriff’s deputy, John Austin had a serious stroke. three hours a day of physical, speech and occupational therapies – on an aggressive schedule, and also have a good support network with family at home to recover. John qualified. “Our average stay is 12 to 14 days,” Dr. Myers says. “It’s a real challenge, but we have excellent therapists. Because of John’s history in playing sports and being physically active, he was up to it. He knew he had work to do and was willing to do it.” John went home after eight days, having recovered his speech and use of his right side. He still works out and does physical therapy. That’s key to ongoing recovery, Dr. Myers says. Dr. Meeker still sees John regularly for check-ups. Their local connection was another advantage. “We had his records and knew his medical history,” Dr. Meeker says. “That really helped speed things up.” Dr. Meeker was impressed when he saw John 22 days after his stroke. John had completed Mercy’s rehab and was home, following up with therapy. “He walked in, shook my hand and talked with me,” Dr. Meeker says, adding with a smile, “Before that, we’d been seeing him about once a year. I told him, ‘that’s going to change!’” John calls the experience his “stroke of luck” and credits fortunate circumstances and great care at Virginia Gay and Mercy. He’s had to re-learn basic things like getting dressed, regaining balance and rebuilding his strength. His family rallied around him. “I hadn’t realized how much this took out of me,” he says. “But every day something improves.” John was able to ride his horse again in September and went back to work with thoughts for retirement in the near future. He’s grateful to have had good medical care close to home. “If you can have a perfect stroke, I had it,” he says. “You can’t put a price on hospitals like this that are being upgraded and keep up with things to save people. Everything was done in such a professional, caring manner that I was able to survive and come back so quickly. It’s amazing to me. They saved me.” THE MERCYtouch 9 See page 2 to learn more about whether you may be at an increased risk for stroke or cardiac disease. He’s played professional football, served in the Navy, taught elementary school, worked as a state probation officer, been a small-town cop – and became a sheriff’s deputy. He also rides horses with a cavalry unit in Civil War re-enactments. Clearly, John thrives on challenges. But even John, 61, shakes his head in disbelief at his near- death experience in June, when a serious stroke knocked him flat. On June 8, the Benton County Sheriff’s deputy was driving his squad car near Newhall, headed home to Vinton, “when it hit me,” he says. “I had no idea what was going on. My whole right side went dead. I couldn’t get my foot off the gas pedal.” He couldn’t radio the dispatcher – he couldn’t move his right arm or talk. When John reached the Shellsburg-Newhall blacktop, the weakness in his right side left him unable to push the brake at the stop sign. Fortunately, there was no traffic. “I don’t know how I got through town,” he recalls. “The next thing I remember is when I pulled into my driveway.” He kicked his foot off the gas pedal, struggled with his seatbelt and dragged himself out of the car, where he collapsed. His neighbor saw him fall and called 911. From there, John was in the hands of a sharp ambulance crew and emergency room team at Virginia Gay Hospital, Vinton. Dr. Brian Meeker, the physician on call, had been alerted by the EMTs to John’s symptoms. When they arrived, Dr. Meeker and his team were ready. “Every minute counts with stroke,” Dr. Meeker notes. “It was all very quick. He lives right in town. The ambulance response was in five minutes. We knew we were within that tPA (tissue Plasminogen Activator) window of time, within the first hour after the stroke.” With stroke, the speed of the emergency response is critical. Administering a strong, clot-dissolving medicine – tPA – within an hour of a stroke’s onset can alter outcomes. John collapsed at 3:05 p.m. and was in the ER at 3:25 p.m. A CT scan showed no hemorrhaging. The tPA was administered within 55 minutes of his arrival. Meeker alerted Mercy Medical Center’s stroke team that John was en route by helicopter for acute care and rehabilitation. When John arrived, he couldn’t speak and his right side was very weak, recalls Dr. Tony Myers, medical director of Mercy’s acute inpatient rehabilitation. But the Vinton ER had done everything right. “Vinton’s appropriate initiation of the tPA was incredibly impressive,” Dr. Myers says. “Every minute you can do that sooner, it saves brain. Knowing what to do initially is really critical.” Still, John needed “significant rehabilitation,” Dr. Myers says. “Two or three days after the stroke, he still couldn’t communicate in any effective way.” Inpatient rehabilitation is tough, Dr. Myers notes. The patient must be ready to work hard – Tony Meyers, MD Medical Director, Mercy Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Brian Meeker, DO, FAAFP Virginia Gay Hospital Vinton, IA
Transcript of There is nothing typical about John Austin. · There is nothing typical about John Austin. A Benton...
8 SPRING 2011 www.mercycare.org
Dr. Brian Meeker& Dr. Tony Myers
There is nothing typical about John Austin.
A Benton County Sheriff’s deputy,John Austin had a serious stroke.
three hours a day of physical, speech andoccupational therapies – on an aggressiveschedule, and also have a good support networkwith family at home to recover. John qualified.
“Our average stay is 12 to 14 days,” Dr.Myers says. “It’s a real challenge, but we haveexcellent therapists. Because of John’s history inplaying sports and being physically active, he wasup to it. He knew he had work to do and waswilling to do it.”
John went home after eight days, havingrecovered his speech and use of his right side. Hestill works out and does physical therapy. That’skey to ongoing recovery, Dr. Myers says.
Dr. Meeker still sees John regularly forcheck-ups. Their local connection was anotheradvantage.
“We had his records and knew his medicalhistory,” Dr. Meeker says. “That really helpedspeed things up.”
Dr. Meeker was impressed when he saw John22 days after his stroke. John had completedMercy’s rehab and was home, following up withtherapy.
“He walked in, shook my hand and talkedwith me,” Dr. Meeker says, adding with a smile,“Before that, we’d been seeing him about once ayear. I told him, ‘that’s going to change!’”
John calls the experience his “stroke ofluck” and credits fortunate circumstances andgreat care at Virginia Gay and Mercy. He’s had tore-learn basic things like getting dressed,regaining balance and rebuilding his strength. Hisfamily rallied around him.
“I hadn’t realized how much this took out ofme,” he says. “But every day somethingimproves.”
John was able to ride his horse again inSeptember and went back to work with thoughtsfor retirement in the near future. He’s grateful tohave had good medical care close to home.
“If you can have a perfect stroke, I had it,”he says. “You can’t put a price on hospitals likethis that are being upgraded and keep up withthings to save people. Everything was done insuch a professional, caring manner that I was ableto survive and come back so quickly. It’s amazingto me. They saved me.”
THE MERCYtouch 9
See page 2 to learn moreabout whether you maybe at an increased risk forstroke or cardiac disease.
He’s played professional football, served inthe Navy, taught elementary school, worked as astate probation officer, been a small-town cop –and became a sheriff’s deputy. He also rides horseswith a cavalry unit in Civil War re-enactments.
Clearly, John thrives on challenges. But evenJohn, 61, shakes his head in disbelief at his near-death experience in June, when a serious strokeknocked him flat.
On June 8, the Benton County Sheriff’s deputy was driving his squad car near
Newhall, headed home to Vinton, “when it hitme,” he says. “I had no idea what was going on.My whole right side went dead. I couldn’t get myfoot off the gas pedal.”
He couldn’t radio the dispatcher – hecouldn’t move his right arm or talk. When Johnreached the Shellsburg-Newhall blacktop, theweakness in his right side left him unable to pushthe brake at the stop sign. Fortunately, there wasno traffic.
“I don’t know how I got through town,” herecalls. “The next thing I remember is when Ipulled into my driveway.”
He kicked his foot off the gas pedal,struggled with his seatbelt and dragged himselfout of the car, where he collapsed. His neighborsaw him fall and called 911.
From there, John was in the hands of a sharpambulance crew and emergency room team atVirginia Gay Hospital, Vinton. Dr. Brian Meeker,the physician on call, had been alerted by theEMTs to John’s symptoms. When they arrived,Dr. Meeker and his team were ready.
“Every minute counts with stroke,” Dr.Meeker notes. “It was all very quick. He livesright in town. The ambulance response was in fiveminutes. We knew we were within that tPA(tissue Plasminogen Activator) window of time,within the first hour after the stroke.”
With stroke, the speed of the emergencyresponse is critical. Administering a strong,clot-dissolving medicine – tPA – within an hour
of a stroke’s onset can alter outcomes. Johncollapsed at 3:05 p.m. and was in the ER at 3:25p.m. A CT scan showed no hemorrhaging. ThetPA was administered within 55 minutes of hisarrival. Meeker alerted Mercy Medical Center’sstroke team that John was en route by helicopterfor acute care and rehabilitation.
When John arrived, he couldn’t speak andhis right side was very weak, recalls Dr. TonyMyers, medical director of Mercy’s acuteinpatient rehabilitation. But the Vinton ER haddone everything right.
“Vinton’s appropriate initiation of the tPAwas incredibly impressive,” Dr. Myers says.“Every minute you can do that sooner, it savesbrain. Knowing what to do initially is reallycritical.”
Still, John needed “significant rehabilitation,”Dr. Myers says. “Two or three days after thestroke, he still couldn’t communicate in anyeffective way.”
Inpatient rehabilitation is tough, Dr. Myersnotes. The patient must be ready to work hard –
Tony Meyers, MDMedical Director,
Mercy AcuteInpatient Rehabilitation
Brian Meeker, DO, FAAFPVirginia Gay HospitalVinton, IA
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