Stroke patient stories

Stroke recovery: The power of not taking no for an answer

Michael Frickstad fell ill while golfing with co-workers from St. Michael-Albertville High School. A physically active adult, he didn't think much of it — just a bad headache. Frickstad went home, took some extra strength Tylenol® and got to bed early. He hasn't been the same since.

Alan (Frank) Schwab

Alan Schwab (who prefers to be called Frank) received therapy at SKRI – New Ulm to overcome the debilitating effects of a right-hemisphere aneurysm and a left-hemisphere stroke.

Giving to others and receiving in return: Ken's story

Coon Rapids Firefighter Ken Boelter continues to fight one of the toughest battles of his life. A stroke paralyzed the left side of his body. But experts at Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute - Mercy Hospital say he's making great strides.

Alan P. Sakry

Despite a severe stroke in January 2012, Alan Sakry of Elk River continued to serve his community in numerous ways as he recovered and participated in rehabilitation.

William Holmberg

When William Holmberg first arrived in the SKRI inpatient unit, he had severe mobility and cognitive impairments due to a stroke that caused a large brain bleed.

Denny Burda: Rejoining life

Denny Burda suffered a stroke while driving to work one day last year. That began a tremendous year of change for Burda and his wife and family.

Mary Conroy Johnson: You can learn from her misfortune, healing

While on vacation, Mary was felled by a stroke that paralyzed her left side, cut off a slice of vision and garbled her speech. Without an immediate medical response and a relatively new treatment, she may have spent the rest of her life paralyzed.

More stroke patient stories on allina.com/stroke

Stroke recovery: The power of not taking no for an answer

In May 2008, 57-year-old Michael Frickstad fell ill while golfing with co-workers from St. Michael-Albertville High School. A physically active adult, Frickstad didn't think much of it — just a bad headache. He went home, took some extra strength Tylenol® and got to bed early. He hasn't been the same since.

"I woke up the next morning and the bedroom was spinning," recalls Frickstad. "I tried to get out of bed and fell to the floor. I had no control over my legs and right arm."

He managed to crawl to his telephone and called his girlfriend, Lynda. Worried because she couldn't understand what he was saying, Lynda called 911. It was the right thing to do — Frickstad was having a stroke.

He was rushed by ambulance to Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, where he spent the next 10 days in intensive care.

"The neurologist at Mercy Hospital told me he didn't think I was going to make it," recalls Frickstad. "A stroke is usually caused by blockage or bleeding and I had both."

The stroke left Frickstad with balance and coordination problems, as well as right side weakness. He was transferred to the stroke specialty program at Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.

Confined to a wheelchair, Frickstad doubted he would walk independently again, but his team of therapists proved him wrong.

"They wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. I was able to remain positive because they believed in me. I figured if the professionals thought I could do this, then I must be able to," he explains.

For three weeks, Frickstad spent three hours each day in physical, occupational and speech therapies.

In addition to traditional therapies, Frickstad's care plan included acupuncture, music therapy, reflexology and aquatic therapy in the Institute's Wasie Therapeutic Swimming Pool.

Just six weeks after leaving his home in a speeding ambulance, Frickstad returned to his living room with only the aid of a walker.

"It was one of the most awesome experiences I've ever had. I had come along way since I left my home strapped to a stretcher," he remembers.

Frickstad continues to work on coordination, balance and regaining sensation in his right arm. He has returned to the high school classroom where he teaches students English literature and the power of not taking no for an answer.

Alan (Frank) Schwab

Alan (Frank) Schwab is a 2012 Inspiration Award winner.

Alan Schwab (who prefers to be called Frank) received therapy at SKRI – New Ulm to overcome the debilitating effects of a right-hemisphere aneurysm and a left-hemisphere stroke.

Schwab's medical journey started in December 2010. Following acute hospital care in Minneapolis, his goal was to return home for therapy at SKRI – New Ulm, where his wife works as a rehabilitation aide. He was making improvements in his activities of daily living and in his receptive and expressive language. By March 2011, he was transferred to a skilled nursing facility in New Ulm, where he remained for three months.

Schwab walked through the doors of SKRI – New Ulm at the end of June 2011. He had improved to the point that he needed only one visit with the physical therapist and he no longer needed speech therapy.

'So Frank and I started our journey together," said Shari Meyer, OTR, Schwab's occupational therapist. "By this time, Frank was able to use his left upper extremity functionally," said Meyer.

His right side had more significant problems. Meyer worked with Schwab on joint protection, passive range of motion and weight bearing activities for two months.

"Frank's dedication to his therapy made magic happen," said Meyer. He completed at least two to three hours of rehabilitation every day. His family helped by fabricating powder boards, pulleys and other items that Meyer recommended, and they challenged him on a daily basis. After 16 months, Schwab was discharged from therapy.

Schwab was determined to return as a volunteer to Oak Hills (skilled nursing facility) in New Ulm. He wanted to help others, and he needed to find out what he was capable of doing since his brain injury prevented him from returning to work as an electrician. Schwab currently spends time visiting with the residents and volunteering in various departments a few times a week for a few hours at a time.

"He's also has been a cheerleader for outpatients at SKRI – New Ulm," said Meyer. Schwab wants to help others who shared the same gym space with him for nearly a year.

He always greets, encourages and supports other patients, giving them the motivation to try harder themselves with their own program.

In addition, he visits families of chemotherapy patients at Virginia Piper Cancer Institute – New Ulm, lifting their spirits in the social area. He also became a role model for a friend who suffered a brain aneurysm earlier this year.

Schwab has overcome many obstacles, from needing significant medical interventions for survival, to responding to the therapies that gave him back the ability to walk, talk and enjoy life. He recently became a grandfather, continues to volunteer, has resumed driving a car, and will be actively looking for a job this fall. He is truly an inspiration to everyone who knows him.

Alan P. Sakry

Alan P. Sakry is a 2012 Inspiration Award winner.

Despite a severe stroke in January 2012, Sakry of Elk River continued to serve his community in numerous ways as he recovered and participated in rehabilitation.

After Sakry's condition stabilized in February, he began a rigorous rehabilitation process with the determination and positive attitude of a champion. The stroke left this masterful motivational speaker with impaired language, making it difficult for him to speak more than one word. He also experienced loss of movement on the right side of his body.

However, Sakry's therapists, Michele Darger, MOTR/L and Rachel Vohs, PT, learned quickly that the positive attitude he brought to every interaction – with therapists, physicians and nurses – was seemingly extraordinary. His theme song was "Eye of the Tiger," which he and his therapists frequently sang at the onset of therapy.

"Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop
Just a man and his will to survive.
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight to just keep them alive."

Despite his medical issues and the challenges of his personal recovery, Sakry reached out to many other patients and provided that uplifting high five, huge smile or thumbs up to connect with them and encourage them.

His physiatrist, Jun Herrera, MD, was overheard telling him, "If all of my patients worked as hard as you did today, Alan, my job would be easy."

Sakry, a loving husband and father, is an extraordinary man who has lived his life generously. In May 2012, Sakry was named Elk River Volunteer of the Month, recognized by Mayor John Dietz for his accomplishments, which include: Chamber of Commerce board member and chair, YMCA community board chair, Elk River Rotary Club, CAER food shelf, Boys & Girls Club, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Faith in Action, and more.

Sakry loved to champion worthy causes and events, making his Elk River community a better place to live and work. He continued to do so even from his hospital bed.

Sakry remains focused on his recovery in preparation for the next chapter in his life. The stroke that nearly claimed his life has irrevocably changed it, but there’s no sign that his spirit was taken from him. He continues to be an inspiration to all around him.

William Holmberg

William Holmberg is a 2012 Inspiration Award winner.

William Holmberg, a resident of New Richmond, Wisconsin, has received therapy at SKRI – United Hospital. When Holmberg first arrived in the SKRI inpatient unit, he had severe mobility and cognitive impairments due to a stroke that caused a large brain bleed.

It was very challenging for him to stand for even short periods of time without becoming nauseated and dizzy. He was unsteady and had no active movement on his right side. He was unable to form a complete sentence or make even his basic needs known because of severe speech impairments.

Holmberg's physical therapist Christine Olson says, "It took Bill several days until he was able to tolerate the upright position long enough to begin pre-gait tasks. When we began to walk, Bill required my assistance even to move his right leg. I specifically remember him asking, 'Can I please try to move these animals by myself?' Due to his aphasia, he had difficulty expressing the appropriate words, but I knew right then that he was very motivated and wanted to do everything he could to improve and progress."

As time went on, Holmberg asked for exercises to do in his room and would promptly tell Olson when these exercises became too easy for him and he was ready for harder challenges.

He never lost his positive attitude and inspired other patients. Holmberg could often be found communicating with other patients on the unit, showing interest and support in their recovery. He shared his challenges and progress with them, encouraging them to stay strong and keep moving forward.

When he left the hospital four weeks later, Holmberg was able to walk more than 500 feet on his own, using a brace on his right leg and a cane in his left hand. He could also climb a flight of stairs, form whole sentences and hold a conversation with his care team.

Now in outpatient therapy, Holmberg continues to make great progress due to his ongoing perseverance and hard work both in therapy sessions and on his own.

In addition to being motivated, Holmberg has been very active in his care, taking an interest in learning about his diagnosis, prognosis and short- and long-term goals.

His professional career as a medical device engineer gave him a great knowledge base regarding medical care and how new devices and treatments can be life changing for a patient.

He has great potential to be a spokesperson for those who have suffered from strokes and a public educator about strokes, rehabilitation and outcomes. He will continue to inspire others in the future.

Denny Burda: Rejoining life

Denny Burda suffered a stroke while driving to work one day last year. That began a tremendous year of change for Burda and his wife and family.

Denny Burda received the 2011 Inspiration Award from Pat Tarnowski of Allina Health.

After his stroke, he struggled to utter even the simplest words, like "yes" and "no." His wife needed to communicate for him. Television annoyed and confused him. Reading was too laborious. Writing was no longer functional.

He was reluctant about coming to outpatient speech therapy, as he rarely left the house after he was discharged from the hospital.

"He won't come, we were told," said Anita Bazan MA/CCC-SLP, speech-language pathologist.

But with steady encouragement and support from his family and friends, Burda did agree to come to therapy. And within a session or two, his perseverance and drive to regain skills were quite apparent, according to Bazan.

Burda attended therapy for three days a week at first, and later one day per week, for more than a year. His concentrated efforts during therapy sessions left him exhausted, but he never called in sick and never missed a session.

Although optimism was guarded about Burda's potential for recovery, he has had an extraordinary outcome, progressing from almost no words at all, to being able to strike up conversations with friends, store clerks, or whoever else is ready to chat.

He has resumed e-mail correspondence, keeps current with news on the Internet, and posts items for sale on Craig's List. He enjoys reading fishing magazines and is able to read story books aloud to his grandchildren. He has honed his fishing skills and is now able to teach this skill through words and actions to the younger generation.

Burda is now also beginning to reach out to educate others about his journey to recovery and to serve as an advocate for the disabled.

"He has 'rejoined life' after an extraordinary year," said Bazan.

Mary Conroy Johnson: You can learn from her misfortune, healing

She is well known as the outpatient surgical nurse at River Falls Area Hospital and, maybe even more so, as a founder of the Free Clinic of Pierce and St. Croix Counties.

Mary is 59, wasn't overweight or on regular medications. Though a very busy person, she's not physically that active but considers herself fit except for some arthritis.

Yet on August 19, 2011 while vacationing with her husband Bob in Iowa to watch their son Neil, a professional golfer, compete in a tournament, Mary was felled by a stroke that paralyzed her left side, cut off a slice of vision and garbled her speech.

Without an immediate medical response and a relatively new treatment, she may have spent the rest of her life paralyzed. Circumstances were in Mary's favor -- having a spouse at her side who's a doctor and being in Des Moines, which had a "certified stroke" hospital nearby.

Now, Mary and Bob want to spread the word that there are stroke warning signs, and that a person displaying symptoms must see a doctor without delay.

For Mary, looking back, there was one warning sign. Carrying a laundry basket up and down stairs at home, she experienced -- for the first time ever -- shortness of breath. "I wasn't dizzy and had no chest pains, but I just couldn't catch my breath,” said Mary. She attributed this to "possible heat stroke" caused by the extremely hot summer.

But she also had shortness of breath while walking up and down golf courses during Neil's tournaments. Her condition was later diagnosed as atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm. In Mary's case, this was probably caused by a blood clot in her heart that would eventually break off and end up in her brain, resulting in the stroke.

Mary, who had gotten up during the night, slept again for several hours when she woke just after 4:30 a.m. in the Iowa hotel where she and Bob were staying. She fell while getting out of bed, hitting her head on a nightstand. Had she tripped over shoes or gotten her feet tangled in the sheets? Neil came to help and look Mary over with Bob.

Bob knew that it wasn't just the blow to the head that was causing Mary's grogginess, irregular pulse, slurred speech and paralysis. Neil called 911.

When paramedics arrived, it didn't take Bob long to convince them that they were dealing with a stroke victim and not simply a head injury from a fall. With that diagnosis, the ambulance bypassed a county hospital and went straight to the certified stroke-treatment hospital.

In the emergency room, a CAT scan confirmed that Mary's stroke was caused by a blood vessel clot on the right side of her brain, paralyzing the left side of her body. Through a catheter inserted in her groin and threaded up an artery to her brain, Mary was administered tPA, a powerful clot-dissolving drug.

But first, Bob and Mary and had to weigh the risks of using tPA. It can work wonders but carries a small risk of inducing severe bleeding. In Mary's case, the choice was clear: If she was to have any chance to regain use of her left side, she needed the tPA.

So the drug and other procedures were all done in about an hour and a half following Mary's falling out of bed and hitting her head. Despite her paralysis and disorientation, Mary remained conscious.

She was in intensive care for two days. Despite the tPA drug slowly dissolving her blood clot, Mary remained immobilized -- though "still spunky" -- for the first 24 hours. "Those were some very dark hours for me -- for us," Bob said. "It was awful. I knew if she didn't improve soon the damage could be permanent."

It helped enormously, Bob said, to have Neil and his other son, Erik, close by for support and to make "astute observations" about their mother's needs. Trying to take it hour by hour, Bob, shaken by the dire turn of events, did plenty of praying. "When something like this happens, it reminds you that it's not all about science," he said. "Some things exceed that. Medicine is always unpredictable, and there is healing that goes beyond what can be explained."

By the second 24 hours, Mary improved so fast -- she was walking down the corridor using a walker -- that her neurologist said, "This is a miracle." "I was so relieved," Bob said. "On that second day she just blossomed."

Mary was soon transferred to Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute at United Hospital in St. Paul. She underwent physical, occupational and speech therapy before her release September 1. She continues with outpatient therapy at Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute - River Falls.

In Mary's opinion, a key indicator of someone with stroke potential is high blood pressure. "If you have that, see a doctor and get it checked and treated right away."

Strokes -- known as a "brain attack" -- occur when blood flow to the brain is cut off. That blocks oxygen and nutrients. Brain cells can become damaged or die. When that happens, bodily functions controlled by the brain are impaired or lost.

According to a Stroke Education Resource Guide given to the Johnsons after Mary's stroke, these are sudden stroke symptoms:

• numbness, weakness or paralysis of face, arm or leg, especially on one side
• blurred or decreased vision in one or both eyes
• severe headache with no apparent cause
• difficulty speaking or understanding words
• difficulty swallowing or unexplained choking
• dizziness, loss of balance, especially when combined with another symptom.

The resource guide adds that stroke symptoms, unlike those of a heart attack, are typically ignored: "Stroke symptoms are more subtle and often overlooked. A recent survey showed that 97% of people 50 and over could not even name one stroke symptom. Recognizing these symptoms is very important to getting a quick diagnosis and treatment that could save your life."