Almost one person a day has suffered a stroke in East Hawaii so far this year.
Almost one person a day has suffered a stroke in East Hawaii so far this year.
Hilo Medical Center has treated 28 people per month for strokes, on average, so far in 2017, the hospital’s tally shows.
A stroke, the fifth-leading cause of death in the nation, can affect a person’s abilities, such as memory, judgment, balance and speech. Stroke affects the individual, but also friends and loved ones who provide care and assistance.
Recovery from stroke takes fortitude — and an iron will.
Elaine Bouchard recently received a surprise pulling up to her home.
Her aunt, Roz Johnson, a stroke survivor, struggled to walk and even talk after the stroke. But Johnson’s condition was apparently improving.
Johnson has nurtured an attitude of self-determination to thrive, not just survive, after suffering a stroke in January, with much help from therapists, loved ones and fellow members of the Hilo Medical Center stroke support group.
She wondered, why not gather some lava rocks, which, if done carefully, can help improve balance, strength and flexibility. She kicked into gear and fulfilled her goal.
When Bouchard arrived, something looked different about the rural lava field they know as their front yard.
“She stacked me enough rocks for me to be able to plant the three coconut trees that we found last weekend,” Bouchard said during the August meeting of the stroke support group.
The group, Bouchard and Johnson say, has been an important place for camaraderie, bouncing ideas off other stroke survivors and their loved ones and getting advice.
Johnson is not alone in her need for that kind of support.
Puna resident John Kalawe, who had a stroke this spring, shared with the support group his recent accomplishments.
He told the group he’s been “pretty good.”
“I went to (South) Korea last month,” he said matter-of-factly to sounds of joyous surprise from the other support group members. “Nothing’s too late to do. So I went to Korea with my family. I did a pub crawl and rode on a subway for the first time.”
When ambulance crews report stroke symptoms in a person such as Kalawe to the hospital, a “stroke activation” is triggered, ensuring staff, equipment and supplies are ready.
Tele-stroke allows Hilo Medical Center health providers to connect live via video screens with neurological specialists at The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, a nationally recognized comprehensive stroke center.
That lets Oahu neurologists, who serve in a specialty that has no practitioners currently available on the Big Island, see patients and determine whether an individual needs air ambulance to Queen’s, fast-acting medications to prevent further damage or other interventions.
For Johnson, daily activity helps keep her focused after the stroke.
“People judge and people judge and people judge,” Johnson said. “And you’re afraid to go out in public.”
But her goal to improve abilities and overwhelming sensory input from crowds is something she plans to confront more often as her healing continues.
“You’re taking risks, and I think that’s an important part of recovery,” language pathologist and support group facilitator Amy Shipley told Johnson during the group’s August meeting.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 81 people per 100,000 age 35 and older had a stroke in Hawaii County during its most recent data reporting period from 2013-15.
If you or a loved one have a history of stroke, support group meetings are hosted at 4 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month on the second floor in the Learning Center at Hilo Medical Center.
Email Jeff Hansel at jhansel@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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FAST stroke symptoms:
F acial droop?
A rm weakness?
S peech trouble?
T ime to call 911
(Source: American Stroke Association)