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Quick Thinking and Expert Stroke Care Saved my Grandpa

Edward Scheer, Columbia St. Mary's patient

Posted: Sept. 1, 2006

At 8 a.m. on June 15th, Edward Scheer’s life changed without notice. “Eddie was sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast when suddenly he couldn’t talk,” recalls his wife, Audrey. “At first I thought he was choking. I was standing at the sink doing dishes and when I turned to look at him, he was swaying from side to side in his chair.”

As Audrey moved closer to catch him from falling, she noticed his mouth was drooping. Instinctively, she reached for the phone and called 9-1-1. “They told me to ‘keep him breathing deeply.’ So that’s just what I did,” says Audrey. A local Cedarburg police officer arrived almost immediately, followed closely by the rescue squad and ambulance.

Once at Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital Ozaukee, doctors confirmed that Edward was having a stroke. Dr. Jacqueline Carter, neurologist and Medical Director of Columbia St. Mary’s Stroke Centers, administered a clot-busting drug known as tPA, or tissue plasminogen activator.

tPA can produce astounding results. It has been proven to reduce the amount of damage and even save the lives of stroke patients. tPA must be given within a few hours after symptoms begin.

Thankfully, in their kitchen that day, Audrey recognized the warning signs. “I thought it was a stroke but I wasn’t sure. It all happened so fast,” she says. Common stroke symptoms include numbness or weakness on one side of the body or in the face, arm or leg; confusion or difficulty speaking; loss of vision in one or both eyes; difficulty walking, dizziness or loss of balance; and severe headache.

Stroke symptoms come on suddenly and often without notice. “I tell all of our friends that you have to act fast. Don’t wait if you think you’re having a stroke,” says Audrey. “The medicine Eddie got in the emergency room worked. It wasn’t long before he recognized me and said, ‘This is my wife of 56 years.’”

Two months later, Edward is overcoming many of the physical effects of his stroke. Stroke rehabilitation usually begins on an inpatient basis three to five days after a stroke and lasts about two to four weeks. Patients like Edward may also continue rehabilitation independently. “He rides his stationary bike for 15 minutes every morning and often walks outdoors with Sarah, our granddaughter,” says Audrey.

His speech and cognitive abilities are also returning. According to Audrey, he often reads out loud to her. And, he pitches in by making the bed, doing dishes and vacuuming. “I do all the things I’m supposed to do,” Edward says of his commitment to helping Audrey out around the house.

Although Edward is still on blood thinners and is in close contact with his primary doctor for follow-up care, his health continues to improve. “We are able to do things together and with our kids and grandkids,” says Audrey. And that, in itself, is the best medicine ever.

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