OhioHealth Celebrates Stroke Survivors and Their Care Teams
As a leading cause of adult disability, it can be challenging to find hope with stroke. But inside this room, a stroke survivor dinner, OhioHealth brings stroke survivors and the medical teams who were instrumental in their recovery back together.
“It allows us to reconnect with patients and their families after a stroke and see how they're doing,” said Aaron Loochtan, MD, OhioHealth vascular neurologist. "They get to see the team that worked with them in the hospital and outside of the hospital. I think it’s a great event for everybody to check in on them and celebrate their success."
One of the guests of honor was Jim Cummins, who shared his journey and what an event like this truly means to stroke survivors.
“The last thing I remember was it was 2 p.m., and I was on my way to the bathroom,” Jim said. “I didn't make it. I went straight down, fell flat on my face on the floor.”
Despite the severity of the stroke, Jim's recovery was remarkable. And he is thankful to the stroke team at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital for their life-saving intervention.
“The only difficulty that I had initially that I recognized was a speech problem,” Jim said. “I slurred my voice or my words a little bit, but I think 48 hours, I was good. I was okay, I was able to speak. You can always count on getting good medical help when you come here. And I think that's part of the OhioHealth system, the whole system.”
After his stroke, Jim approached recovery with a positive attitude and resilience.
“He's able to do what he loves doing because we were able to help him so quickly,” Dr. Loochtan said. "He’s essentially back to normal and his family is very supportive. Seeing him and his family here today is great thing. And seeing how well he’s doing.
The dinner also celebrated the crucial role of various medical teams at OhioHealth in the stroke response process and the education they provide to families about recognizing the signs and symptoms of stroke.
"Getting people into the hospital as soon as possible and educating loved ones so they can see that something's wrong with their loved one,” Dr. Loochtan said. “And then having EMS personnel once they get to the emergency room, having the nursing team, the ED doctors and then up to the radiology suite.”
For Jim, the rapid response from his family and the medical team at Riverside Methodist Hospital made all the difference.
“All the pieces have to fall in place, and it starts with the family recognizing what's going on, or if the patient can, letting their family know that something is wrong.”
To learn more about OhioHealth stroke care, click here.
