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34-year-old stroke patient achieves a remarkable recovery with help from the experts at UI
Like many people, Bill Pitzen used to associate strokes with age.
Today, Pitzen knows better. Having experienced two strokes of his own at age 33, he realizes that age has little to do with one's risk for stroke.
The first event occurred last year during a seemingly routine day at his former place of employment, McLeod USA in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The initial symptoms—dizziness, hot flashes, slurred speech, and double vision—rendered him unresponsive as paramedics rushed him to a nearby hospital for evaluation.
Fortunately, he woke up and was able to return home after MRI and CT scans failed to detect the cause of his symptoms. Still, doctors were concerned and referred him to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for further evaluation by UI neuroscientists.
Two days later, during a clinic visit, UI neuro-ophthalmologist Andrew Lee, MD, diagnosed Pitzen with a significant stroke. A repeat MRI scan also showed a developing blockage in his brain, putting him at high risk for a second stroke.
Unfortunately, Pitzen suffered the second stroke and collapsed just as he was being admitted for treatment.
Pitzen now faced the distinct possibility of losing movement on his left side and the ability to feed himself. To counter these risks, UI neuroscientists quickly formulated a plan that they hoped would lead to a better outcome.
Time was the enemy. The sooner doctors could intervene, the better. A highly specialized endovascular procedure to free the blockages in his brain was immediately performed UI interventional neuro-radiologist John Chaloupka, MD.
Pitzen spent the next 33 days under the expert care of a specialized stroke team led by Harold Adams, MD, a leading expert in stroke care. During this critical recovery time, Pitzen fell into a "locked in," non-responsive state in which his body was "frozen" but his mind was aware. He needed a tracheotomy just to breathe.
"I thought everyone was trying to kill me," he says. "I remember hearing about Hurricane Katrina on TV and I remember hearing the voices of my family. It was extremely frustrating not being able to communicate."
Pitzen emerged from his non-responsive state and left the hospital Sept. 16, 2005, to begin rehabilitation therapy.
Today, against long odds, Pitzen has near normal muscular function. Speech therapy has helped him overcome speech difficulties experienced when 10 percent of his tongue was removed because of necrosis (tissue death).
He also recently underwent a procedure to surgically align his left eye so he can experience normal vision again. The procedure was performed by UI ophthalmologist Richard Olson, MD.
Pitzen credits the expert, world-class care he received at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for saving his life and giving him a future.
"We're lucky to have this level of expert stroke care here in Iowa," he says.
Pitzen has decided to share his insights about stroke in a book he is writing called One Fine Day. He hopes the book will give hope to younger stroke patients.
"After all I've been through, I'm just happy to be here!" he says.
For more information about stroke care at UI Hospitals and Clinics, patients and family members should call UI Health Access and ask for the Stroke Clinic.
Leaders in stroke care
UI neuroscientists have helped develop important clinical instruments used around the world for stroke patient care, including:
- NIH Stroke Scale, used to document the severity of stroke
- Acute Stroke Treatment Classification, used by clinical researchers to categorize the causes of brain infarction.
Facts about stroke
- Every year, 700,000 Americans experience a stroke
- Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in the U.S.
For consultation or referral, physicians should call UI Consult.
—Michael Sondergard
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