{"id":4937,"date":"2018-11-30T08:03:50","date_gmt":"2018-11-30T14:03:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=4937"},"modified":"2021-03-16T10:08:55","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T15:08:55","slug":"swift-care-saves-stroke-patient","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/swift-care-saves-stroke-patient\/","title":{"rendered":"Swift care and an observant friend saves stroke patient"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dolores Ott, of Grand Ridge, isn\u2019t your average 88-year-old. Whether she\u2019s hosting her weekly \u201cRembrandts of Grand Ridge\u201d painting group, volunteering at local non-profits, or spending time with her family, Dolores is never short on things to do.<\/p>\n

But her life came to a screeching halt on April 12, 2017. Dolores and her friend, Judy, were shopping and eating lunch in Ottawa<\/a>. As Dolores drove herself and Judy home, Dolores began having trouble speaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember my words were garbled and couldn\u2019t talk,\u201d Dolores said. \u201cI didn\u2019t have any trouble driving though.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under Judy\u2019s protest, Dolores dropped Judy off at her home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told Judy I was going to go lay down after I dropped her off,\u201d Dolores said.<\/p>\n

Ten minutes later, Judy and her husband were at Dolores\u2019s house insisting that they call an ambulance. Dolores agreed.<\/p>\n

Time is brain<\/h2>\n

The paramedics arrived within minutes and evaluated Dolores.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe paramedics alerted our Emergency Department (ED)<\/a> that they most likely had a stroke patient who was going to arrive soon to the hospital,\u201d said Amanda Los, Emergency Department patient care manager at OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center<\/a>. \u201cSo, we prepared to treat her as a stroke patient.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Dolores arrived, she was assessed by Dr. Daniel Mueller<\/a>, an ED physician, who confirmed her stroke symptoms.<\/p>\n

For every stroke patient – including Dolores – a stroke alert is activated at OSF Saint Elizabeth. The lab and radiology departments are instructed to clear the computed tomography<\/a> (CT) table. Within 25 minutes of arrival, the patient gets a head CT scan, which is read by a radiologist within 45 minutes. Blood is also drawn and tested within 45 minutes.<\/p>\n

Finally, if the tests confirm a stroke and the care team deems it medically necessary, tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) is given within 60 minutes. TPA is an effective clot-busting drug that works to dissolve a clot in the brain to improve blood flow that is being deprived from the clot, causing the stroke.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was concluded that Dolores would benefit from receiving the TPA to help with her stroke symptoms,\u201d Amanda said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never gave it a thought I was having a stroke,\u201d Dolores said. \u201cI really wasn\u2019t in pain. I wouldn\u2019t have laid down if I knew it was a stroke.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making a full recovery<\/h2>\n
\"Dolores

After completing speech and physical therapy after her stroke, Dolores Ott is once again able to enjoy painting in her spare time.<\/p><\/div>\n

Once Dolores received the TPA, she was transferred to OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center<\/a> in Rockford \u2013 a comprehensive stroke center \u2013 by an OSF LifeFlight<\/a> helicopter.<\/p>\n

Though OSF Saint Elizabeth is a stroke-ready hospital, all patients are transferred after initial evaluation to a comprehensive stroke center where neurology experts have the capability to do invasive treatments to the brain, if necessary.<\/p>\n

\u201cFlying on a helicopter was on my bucket list,\u201d Dolores said. \u201cThough it wasn\u2019t the ideal situation to ride one for. I remember the nurse on the helicopter being so kind and caring.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Dolores arrived to OSF Saint Anthony, she was evaluated by neurologist Dr. John Collins. He determined the TPA was resolving Dolores\u2019s stroke symptoms, and she didn\u2019t require any further treatment except for continuous monitoring.<\/p>\n

On April 14, Dolores was released to go home.<\/p>\n

For the next month, Dolores underwent speech<\/a> and physical therapy<\/a> provided by OSF Home Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Today, it\u2019s been over a year since Dolores\u2019s stroke, and she has made a full recovery with the exception of her legs not being as strong.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything was handled with such expertise,\u201d Dolores said. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing how well I\u2019ve recovered. I owe so much to my friend Judy for making me call 9-1-1.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dolores Ott, of Grand Ridge, isn\u2019t your average 88-year-old. Whether she\u2019s hosting her weekly \u201cRembrandts of Grand Ridge\u201d painting group, volunteering at local non-profits, or spending time with her family, Dolores is never short on things to do. But her life came to a screeching halt on April 12, 2017. Dolores and her friend, Judy, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":4949,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[99,223],"tags":[755,434,853,102,114],"coauthors":[690],"class_list":["post-4937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-neurosciences","category-patient-story","tag-osf-ini","tag-osf-saint-elizabeth","tag-physical-therapy","tag-rehabilitation","tag-stroke"],"yoast_head":"\nSwift care and an observant friend saves stroke patient<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dolores Ott's friend Judy noticed she was slurring her words and having difficulty speaking. 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