Care you can count on Kootenai Health was recently designated a Level II Stroke Center by the state of Idaho’s Time Sensitive Emergency (TSE) System. To earn this three-year designation, hospitals must meet a variety of stringent benchmarks for the quick diagnosis, treatment and care for stroke patients, as well as comprehensive training protocols. medicine while another called a Life Flight helicopter to transport Tony to Kootenai Health. The medical staff and Life Flight medics prepared Tony for the 20-minute ride from Kellogg to Coeur d’Alene. In a daze, I walked to the parking lot where I could hear helicopter blades whirring. I did not know if Tony would arrive at the hospital alive or dead. Thankfully, Tony was awake and lucid when I arrived at Kootenai Health. Right-side paralysis had begun and he mumbled a few words, but he was alive! The ED team transferred Tony to the intensive care unit (ICU) at around 3 a.m. Each nurse explained that Kootenai Health is a stroke-certified center. Every staff member receives training on stroke and heart attack care—not just doctors and nurses, but also certified nursing assistants and the therapy staff—everyone. These assurances allowed me to let go of the hypervigilance that accompanies a shocking medical diagnosis. I trusted the medical team to take care of Tony, allowing me to tend to the million other details that arise during a medical crisis. ‘A freak, traumatic accident’ The ICU team immediately ordered many tests to identify the cause of the stroke. The next day, the neurologist told us the stroke was caused by an arterial dissection. Our son and I figured out that a seemingly minor bicycle accident one week earlier had caused serious damage to Tony’s carotid artery, and the injury had released blood clots to his brain. The doctor called it a freak, traumatic accident. Tony spent two days in the ICU, was transferred to the neurological unit, then returned to the ICU after a well-trained and alert night-shift nurse noticed his NIH Stroke Scale score had dropped in the middle of the night. She immediately ordered an MRI, which detected brain swelling. Tony returned to the ICU and was put on a saline drip. We feel very grateful to the nurse who helped avert the serious brain damage that could have occurred if the swelling had passed the midline of Tony’s brain. Many have heard about the vital need for early therapy intervention during stroke recovery. The Kootenai Health care team was quick to order daily in-room physical, occupational and speech therapy, even while Tony was in the ICU. Every therapist was welltrained in the therapies that would help Tony’s recovery. They informed our son and me of things we could do to support Tony: sit and talk to him on his affected side, encourage him to try to move his limbs, play music he enjoys and more. The medical team engaged our family and invited us to participate. Tony spent 10 days at Kootenai Health before he was transported to a rehabilitation hospital, where he stayed for another seven weeks. Nearly five years later, Tony continues to recover and receives physical, occupational and speech therapy at the Kootenai Health campus. Despite right-side paralysis and aphasia, which affects his ability to communicate, he drives, gardens, rides a recumbent bike and lives fairly independently. We are grateful for these gifts and for the expert care he received at Kootenai Health. Restoring lives Kootenai Health’s neuroscience program provides life-changing care for stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Lou Gehrig’s disease. To schedule an appointment with one of our board-certified neurologists, call Kootenai Clinic Neurology at (208) 625-5100, or visit KH.org/neurology to see how we can help. We feel very grateful to the nurse who helped avert the serious brain damage that could have occurred if the swelling had passed the midline of Tony’s brain. —Astrid Rial KH.ORG 15
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