Primary Stroke Center at Loyola Saves Lives

Myrna Walton

Myrna Walton thought she had a pinched nerve. Her left arm felt “funny,” yet she figured it would pass. But when she had trouble speaking, her grandchildren called their mother, who helped get Myrna immediately to Loyola, designated a primary stroke center by the Joint Commission. It might have saved her life.

“We so often attempt to treat ourselves,” Myrna said. “That was not one of those times when I should have done that.”

Loyola’s physicians and nurses recognized that Myrna, now 63, was suffering from transient ischemic attacks, or TIAs. Often called “mini-strokes,” TIAs can be life-threatening. People who experience any symptom commonly associated with stroke (drooping face, loss of feeling in an arm or leg, loss of balance, garbled speech) should call 911 for transport to a primary stroke center without delay. The sooner a patient arrives, the better the chances for a positive health outcome.

“Everyone treated me very well at Loyola,” Myrna said. “They got to the source of the problem and resolved it. That’s why I’m here today.”

TIAs often precede ischemic stroke. For some people a TIA causes their first symptoms. For others a TIA can follow an earlier stroke. Myrna suffered a stroke in 1994, and since then, she has been trying to manage her high blood pressure, a significant risk factor for stroke. On average, every 40 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke. Myrna is now participating in a Loyola clinical trial for a new therapy that may help her avoid another stroke or TIA.

Loyola’s primary stroke center staff takes great pleasure in knowing that she can spend her retirement in ways that delight her because she has no residual effects from her TIA. Myrna retired in December 2008, after working 31 years for the State of Illinois. “I’m a fanatic for crossword and jigsaw puzzles,” Myrna said. “I enjoy reading, and I love being with my grandchildren.”