HASTINGS — For Wayne Moorhead of Edgar and Ray Arnold of rural Trumbull, their stories of stroke ended well.
Both men were able to return to their own homes with few remaining problems. And they attribute much of their recovery to the care they received at Mary Lanning Healthcare, a Joint Commission-designated Certified Primary Stroke Center.
During May, National Stroke Month, the two men decided to share their stories so that other people would learn a little about stroke and where to seek help.
Wayne Moorhead
As a former school principal, Wayne Moorhead knows what a difference a good staff makes. That’s why he said he took the time to thank all of the members of Mary Lanning Healthcare who cared for him after his stroke.
When the Edgar man suffered a stroke, he was taken to the Mary Lanning Emergency Room, where he received care quickly. He spent about two weeks in the hospital following that initial treatment.
“The entire staff is all very important,” Moorhead said. “And I was just so pleased with the staff at Mary Lanning Healthcare. Everyone was so helpful from the time I hit the door.”
After his hospital stay, he worked with the staff at Mary Lanning Rehabilitation at Cimarron Plaza to continue his recovery.
“I am awestruck by the excellence of the staff and their dedication to the patient,” Moorhead said.
Ray Arnold
Ninety-year-old Ray Arnold of Trumbull didn’t realize he had a stroke on Christmas Day 2015. He was on his way to visit his daughter in McCook when the stroke occurred. His symptoms were simply being wobbly on his feet and having a shaky arm while eating dinner.
“I never gave it a thought,” he said. “We had Christmas and we went to bed. The next morning, I couldn’t button my shirt.”
Arnold traveled back to Hastings, waiting nearly 24 hours before going to the hospital to seek help. “I should have come back when I first suspected there was a problem,” he said. “It could have been worse because I delayed like that.”
When Arnold did come to the Mary Lanning Healthcare Emergency Room, he received the help he needed. He was in the hospital for a few weeks where he was the first to use some new technology on the recently remodeled Third Floor.
“It was like I was on vacation,” he said. “The staff was so nice, helpful and friendly.”
Today, Arnold is happy to be back home on his farm, fixing fences and doing chores thanks to the care he received.
Scope of stroke
- Stroke is a leading cause of death and serious, long-term disability in the United States.
- According to the American Stroke Association, about 795,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke each year, and 87 percent of these are ischemic strokes.
Signs of stroke
The primary stroke symptoms include:
- Sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the face or facial drooping
- Sudden numbness or weakness in an arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause