HASTINGS — Music professor Dr. Robin Koozer was working in his office in late February 2014, busily typing away on his computer. He was having a little trouble seeing the screen clearly, so he removed his glasses and cleaned them.
Yet when he put them back on, his eyesight did not improve.
“Everything appeared foggy or smoky,” Koozer explained.
A colleague stopped in and told the 60-year-old, who is Chairman of the Music Department at Hastings College, that he appeared to be very pale. Another colleague suggested Koozer go to the hospital. He refused because he felt fine but called his wife, Ann, who took him to see a family physician. The doctor checked his symptoms and immediately called an ambulance to transport Koozer to Mary Lanning Healthcare.
Koozer was about to learn about Code Stroke. “Code Stroke” is the phrase used at Mary Lanning, a Joint-Commission certified Certified Primary Stroke Center, when a patient arrives in the Emergency Department with possible stroke symptoms. Calling a “Code Stroke” sets into motion an intricate system, involving an entire team of caregivers. The idea is to provide the care a stroke patient needs within minutes of arrival at Mary Lanning. When stroke is involved, timing is critical in preventing permanent damage to the patient.
Koozer shared his story to raise awareness during National Stroke Awareness Month in May.
“Ann and I were so impressed with the continuum of stroke protocol,” Koozer said. “If someone wasn’t there, the next person knew what to do. Everyone worked so well to ensure constant communication among members of the team and a knowledge of the protocol.”
Koozer said Dr. Lorraine Edwards talked to him about tPA, which works by dissolving any blood clots and improving the blood flow to the brain. After an MRI and tests, Edwards suggested that Koozer try tPA to avoid any damage.
“Fortunately, I had tPA in time to avoid any damage,” Koozer said.
Koozer stayed in the Intensive Care Unit at Mary Lanning for a few days to assure his recovery. He said he continued to be impressed by the number of visits he received from specialists and therapy departments at Mary Lanning. He underwent a variety of testing.
“Everyone was very impressive, very personable,” he said. “My time at Mary Lanning was very positive. Nothing was done without a thorough explanation.”
Koozer also praised the follow-up he received after his stay at Mary Lanning.
Today, Koozer said he is working to change his lifestyle, losing weight, exercising and keeping blood pressure under control. He said he feels lucky that his condition was not as serious as it could have been.
“I strongly recommend and encourage anybody who has any stroke symptoms to take notice and not second guess it,” he said.
His stroke symptoms had a quick onset. He said people need to be aware of any changes in their vision or numbness, pain in their jaw, headache — anything out of the ordinary.
“I was pleased I was at Mary Lanning,” he said. “I feel fortunate that Mary Lanning is a stroke center with all of the right things in place to help when needed.”
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, approximately 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