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Veteran credits rapid stroke response for saving his life
When stroke symptoms appear, time is critical
Larry Robinson served 30 years in the United States Army with multiple tours of duty in combat zones. His years of service in the field taught him to trust his instincts.
When nurse Andrea Helmbach met him at the entrance of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Northern Virginia Medical Center emergency department and asked him to “trust her,” his instincts were telling him to do just that. It seemed certain he was having a stroke.
Only days before, Robinson laid his mother to rest and was back at home doing chores around the house. He began to feel lightheaded and anxious, which did not worry him at first. After all, it had been a big week for his family. Also, he occasionally experienced anxiety episodes following his years of military service. He called for his wife, Angela. She brought him water and a wet towel for his forehead. He thought it was simply anxiety, but she sensed something was different and called 911.
This was not anxiety. Things were different. Robinson’s vision became blurry, he fell over, and began to throw up. But his wife’s timely call to 911 started the clock ticking on his getting proper care.
He awaited the arrival of the ambulance with Angela. “She got down on the floor with me and just held me, encouraging me to hang in there, and I said, ‘God got me baby…. God got us.’ I kept saying that and then the emergency team arrived.”
Robinson was experiencing a stroke. Most people are familiar with the term, but might not realize what is happening in the body during this medical emergency.
A stroke occurs when the flow of blood to the brain is blocked or interrupted. The effects depend on which area of the brain is affected, but a stroke is serious. When a person experiences one, brain cells die, and a timely response can make an important difference in possible brain damage and outcomes for the patient.
According to the , stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. On average, someone in this country dies of a stroke every three minutes and 30 seconds. One in six people will suffer a stroke in their lifetime.
Robinson’s vital signs were not good, and the Emergency Medical Service team that arrived at his house initially thought he may need to be medivacked by helicopter. Given hazardous weather conditions, that was not possible. Instead, they put Robinson in the emergency vehicle, set up his IV, monitored his vitals, and started the trip to Â鶹ÊÓƵ Northern Virginia Medical Center’s emergency department, where the stroke team was on alert and awaiting Robinson’s arrival.
Robinson describes himself as being somewhat “out of it” when he arrived at the emergency department, but he vividly remembers meeting Helmbach, stroke manager, as he was brought into the hospital.
“She was with me, telling me exactly what was happening and what I needed to do,” he said. “She explained they had a clot-busting drug and asked for my permission to use it. She just looked at me and said, ‘I got you, trust me and I’m going to take care of you.’ Andrea was there the entire time talking me through it all.”
“The paramedics took excellent care of me and then did what we call in my line of work a battle handoff to Andrea,” Robinson explained. “She, along with the neuro and emergency room teams, took charge. It is like everything else stopped and they all concentrated on me.”
“Sometimes, when you are in a stressful situation, it can be hard to trust.,” Robinson added. “Andrea asked, ‘Do you trust me?’ and I said, yeah.”
Helmbach has been a nurse for 36 years, with the last seven focused on stroke care. “He had vomited, he was minimally responsive, he could not move his legs or arms, and he could not sit up,” she said. “The concern was that he had a brainstem stroke, but we quickly did a CT and knew there was no bleed in his head. However, we knew this was a serious situation.”
The Intensive Care Unit team was there and in full swing. In addition, the hospital had a stoke expert, the neurologist Dr. Alexander Grunsfeld, evaluating Robinson. Dr. Grunsfeld felt that this patient was a good candidate for therapy with the clot-busting drug Tenecteplase, which the hospital recently began using, with excellent results.
When he arrived at Â鶹ÊÓƵ Northern Virginia Medical Center, he had a National Institute of Health stroke scale score of 12, which indicates a moderate size stroke that can have severe consequences.
“The speed with which the medical team responds is so critically important when dealing with a stroke,” explained Helmbach. “We gave him Tenecteplase 24 minutes after he arrived, well within the 45-minute window that is recommended. And here we are two days later, with a complete recovery.”
Robinson’s successful outcome demonstrates the importance of timely intervention. From his wife’s quick action in calling 911, to the prompt arrival and care of the EMS team, to the quick transfer to the hospital, to the fast action of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ medical team, to the timely administering of Tenecteplase, the fast response helped in produce an excellent outcome.
From his recovery bed at the hospital two days later, Robinson shared that his trust in the entire team at Â鶹ÊÓƵ was well placed.
Robinson has important work to do in his follow-up care, but things look bright and promising.
“This is the sort of outcome you hope to have every day that you come to work,” reflected Helmbach.
Learn more about the signs of stroke, reducing your risks, and more at . And remember, if you or a loved one may be experiencing signs or symptoms of stroke, call 911.
When nurse Andrea Helmbach met him at the entrance of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Northern Virginia Medical Center emergency department and asked him to “trust her,” his instincts were telling him to do just that. It seemed certain he was having a stroke.
Only days before, Robinson laid his mother to rest and was back at home doing chores around the house. He began to feel lightheaded and anxious, which did not worry him at first. After all, it had been a big week for his family. Also, he occasionally experienced anxiety episodes following his years of military service. He called for his wife, Angela. She brought him water and a wet towel for his forehead. He thought it was simply anxiety, but she sensed something was different and called 911.
This was not anxiety. Things were different. Robinson’s vision became blurry, he fell over, and began to throw up. But his wife’s timely call to 911 started the clock ticking on his getting proper care.
He awaited the arrival of the ambulance with Angela. “She got down on the floor with me and just held me, encouraging me to hang in there, and I said, ‘God got me baby…. God got us.’ I kept saying that and then the emergency team arrived.”
One in six people will suffer a stroke in their lifetime
Robinson was experiencing a stroke. Most people are familiar with the term, but might not realize what is happening in the body during this medical emergency.
A stroke occurs when the flow of blood to the brain is blocked or interrupted. The effects depend on which area of the brain is affected, but a stroke is serious. When a person experiences one, brain cells die, and a timely response can make an important difference in possible brain damage and outcomes for the patient.
According to the , stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. On average, someone in this country dies of a stroke every three minutes and 30 seconds. One in six people will suffer a stroke in their lifetime.
‘I’m going to take care of you’
Robinson’s vital signs were not good, and the Emergency Medical Service team that arrived at his house initially thought he may need to be medivacked by helicopter. Given hazardous weather conditions, that was not possible. Instead, they put Robinson in the emergency vehicle, set up his IV, monitored his vitals, and started the trip to Â鶹ÊÓƵ Northern Virginia Medical Center’s emergency department, where the stroke team was on alert and awaiting Robinson’s arrival.
Robinson describes himself as being somewhat “out of it” when he arrived at the emergency department, but he vividly remembers meeting Helmbach, stroke manager, as he was brought into the hospital.
“She was with me, telling me exactly what was happening and what I needed to do,” he said. “She explained they had a clot-busting drug and asked for my permission to use it. She just looked at me and said, ‘I got you, trust me and I’m going to take care of you.’ Andrea was there the entire time talking me through it all.”
“The paramedics took excellent care of me and then did what we call in my line of work a battle handoff to Andrea,” Robinson explained. “She, along with the neuro and emergency room teams, took charge. It is like everything else stopped and they all concentrated on me.”
“Sometimes, when you are in a stressful situation, it can be hard to trust.,” Robinson added. “Andrea asked, ‘Do you trust me?’ and I said, yeah.”
Helmbach has been a nurse for 36 years, with the last seven focused on stroke care. “He had vomited, he was minimally responsive, he could not move his legs or arms, and he could not sit up,” she said. “The concern was that he had a brainstem stroke, but we quickly did a CT and knew there was no bleed in his head. However, we knew this was a serious situation.”
A rapid response
The Intensive Care Unit team was there and in full swing. In addition, the hospital had a stoke expert, the neurologist Dr. Alexander Grunsfeld, evaluating Robinson. Dr. Grunsfeld felt that this patient was a good candidate for therapy with the clot-busting drug Tenecteplase, which the hospital recently began using, with excellent results.
When he arrived at Â鶹ÊÓƵ Northern Virginia Medical Center, he had a National Institute of Health stroke scale score of 12, which indicates a moderate size stroke that can have severe consequences.
“The speed with which the medical team responds is so critically important when dealing with a stroke,” explained Helmbach. “We gave him Tenecteplase 24 minutes after he arrived, well within the 45-minute window that is recommended. And here we are two days later, with a complete recovery.”
Robinson’s successful outcome demonstrates the importance of timely intervention. From his wife’s quick action in calling 911, to the prompt arrival and care of the EMS team, to the quick transfer to the hospital, to the fast action of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ medical team, to the timely administering of Tenecteplase, the fast response helped in produce an excellent outcome.
From his recovery bed at the hospital two days later, Robinson shared that his trust in the entire team at Â鶹ÊÓƵ was well placed.
Robinson has important work to do in his follow-up care, but things look bright and promising.
“This is the sort of outcome you hope to have every day that you come to work,” reflected Helmbach.
Learn more about the signs of stroke, reducing your risks, and more at . And remember, if you or a loved one may be experiencing signs or symptoms of stroke, call 911.
By: Jon Radulovic