Timely Treatment Saves 27-Year-Old from Stroke
| John Jansky was an unlikely candidate for a stroke. He does not smoke, have high blood pressure or any other contributing medical conditions. Jansky was also an unlikely stroke survivor because he lives in rural Pineville, Ark. – several miles from the nearest hospital.
One Monday evening in December, Janksy got up from dinner with his mother to let his dog inside from the backyard. Suddenly, the left side of his body became weak and his speech was slurred. His mother recognized his symptoms as the signs of a stroke and called 911. It is thanks to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Institute for Digital Health & Innovation (IDHI) Stroke Program, Vital Link EMS, and Izard County Medical Center in Calico Rock that John Jansky not only survived his stroke, but he was also given a second chance at a normal life.
Jansky returned to work one week after his stroke.
When Jansky arrived to Izard County Medical Center by ambulance, he was greeted by a team of stroke ready emergency room staff who immediately started his path to treatment and recovery. In only 35 minutes, a live consultation had been arranged and a CT image had been received by UAMS Neurologist and the IDHI Stroke Program Medical Director Sanjeeva Onteddu, M.D. Through collaboration with the nurses at the facility and the physician on camera, providers determined that they should administer alteplase to break up the clots and reduce the potential for permanent damage to Jansky’s brain.
Feeling and function on the left side of his body as well as his speaking ability were almost completely restored 30 to 60 minutes after receiving alteplase. The care team at Izard County Medical Center prepared Janksy to be transported to UAMS to receive further monitoring in the ICU and for follow-up testing to be performed. An MRI scan showed there had been an obstruction to the right medial thalamus and right cerebellum of his brain. The cause of the stroke remains unknown. By Thursday afternoon, he was discharged and sent home with instructions to continue his treatment. By Monday, one week after his stroke, Jansky returned to work as a welder.
“Everyone at work was surprised to see me so soon and in such good shape,” Jansky said. “The nurses and doctors at UAMS do care about their patients and willing to help them get better. I know also that as soon as I got in Calico Rock they took care of me right away.”
He said the stroke came as a shock to him and his mother, and he gives credit for his timely treatment and rapid recovery to Izard County Medical Center and the Vital Link ambulance crew. Jansky remains optimistic despite the unexpected health setback last winter.
“It was scary,” he said “But as long as I have God on my side, I will keep truckin’ forward.”