Inova Saves Debbie’s Life Three Times: Lifesaving Actions in Stroke and Heart Care
The day Debbie Hembree had a stroke was a day she will never forget. But for this joy-filled, active 51-year-old, it’s not a day when everything went wrong. Instead, Debbie says so many things went right.
Sudden Stroke Symptoms
The chain of events that saved Debbie’s life began with her 25-year-old daughter, Alyssa. A full-time special education teacher. Alyssa rarely visited her mother’s home on school days. But the day of Debbie’s stroke, Alyssa was at her mother’s house watching a virtual training for work.
“I’d been playing with the dog in the backyard and decided to come inside,” Debbie recalled. “I stepped through the back door and suddenly, my right leg felt heavy. I had no strength on my right side.”
Alyssa, who works with stroke survivors, saw the right side of her mother’s face droop and recognized it as a possible stroke symptom. She ran over to Debbie, helped her sit down, and called 911. Next, she texted their neighbor, Tyler, a fireman and emergency medical technician (EMT). He immediately came to their home and helped until EMS arrived.
“If my daughter hadn’t been there, I don’t know what would have happened,” Debbie said. “I tried to speak to Alyssa, but no words came out. Tyler came in, and he stayed with me until the ambulance arrived. I was aware of everything that was happening, but I was powerless to stop it or speak.”
Certified Stroke Care, Close to Home
Within minutes, the EMS team and paramedics were at Debbie’s door. They transported Debbie to Inova Loudoun Hospital, about five minutes down the road. There, the emergency stroke care team was ready to help.
Inova Loudoun Hospital is a Primary Stroke Center, and like all Inova hospitals, maintains stroke care certification from The Joint Commission. This designation means the team is qualified to treat acute stroke and follows proven quality measures for patient safety.
The Inova Loudoun stroke care team contacted Emily Grodinsky, MD,a vascular neurologist and stroke specialist, to evaluate Debbie. Dr. Grodinsky is board-certified in general neurology and treats stroke patients in the hospital and in Inova’s outpatient clinic.
“When Debbie arrived at Inova Loudoun Hospital’s emergency room, I was at Inova Fairfax Hospital,” said Dr. Grodinsky. “But thanks to our stroke telemedicine program, I was able to do a clinical evaluation immediately.”
Through Inova’s secure video system, Dr. Grodinsky evaluated Debbie’s symptoms and talked with her daughter. Dr. Grodinsky consulted with Inova Loudoun Hospital’s emergency staff and viewed the results of Debbie’s CT scan. “I determined she was having an ischemic stroke and needed immediate care to remove the blood clot causing it,” Dr. Grodinsky said.
Dr. Grodinsky recommended a mechanical thrombectomy, a procedure that only a few hospitals in the region are qualified to perform. During this minimally invasive procedure, doctors remove a stroke-causing clot by guiding a thin, flexible tube through a blood vessel. Mechanical thrombectomy can be used in conjunction with blood thinners in certain patients and quickly restores blood flow to the blocked vessel.
The Inova Loudoun stroke care team prepared to transfer Debbie to Inova Fairfax Hospital, the “hub” in Inova’s stroke care system. Inova Fairfax Hospital is one of only 113 hospitals nationwide – and the only one in Northern Virginia – designated as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Joint Commission. This designation means Fairfax has the highest technical capabilities and a stroke interventional team that can treat the most complex stroke cases.
And because minutes are so critical during a stroke, the team didn’t take chances. They transferred Debbie to Inova Fairfax via medical air ambulance (helicopter).
Successful Stroke Treatment
Upon Debbie’s arrival at Inova Fairfax Hospital, she was wheeled into the operating room.
“Our interventional radiologist on call removed an 8-millimeter clot from Debbie’s artery,” said Dr. Grodinsky. “Amazingly, Debbie had retained partial blood flow to the affected part of her brain, so she didn’t experience any permanent damage.”
After the procedure, Debbie woke up in a recovery room with a nurse by her side. “The nurse was looking at me, and I said, ‘hello,’” Debbie said. “I realized I could talk again and burst into tears.”
In the days that followed, various Inova specialists evaluated Debbie and checked on her recovery. “Every member of the team was amazed at how well I was doing,” said Debbie. “I could talk, write, walk, perform daily activities and I had no cognitive problems. People couldn’t believe I had a stroke just a few days before.”
History of Exceptional Care
Debbie’s stroke was not her first experience with Inova. She was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, a heart condition that went unnoticed through her childhood and teen years.
“When I was a child, doctors noticed I had a heart murmur,” Debbie explains. “Back then, no one knew why I had it. Then in 1997, when I was 25 years old, I temporarily lost my vision. I underwent several medical tests, but doctors couldn’t find anything wrong.”
After ruling out brain and eye problems, Debbie met with Pradeep Nayak, MD, a cardiologist with Virginia Heart who specializes in congenital heart disease, . “Dr. Nayak ran some tests and diagnosed the bicuspid aortic valve,” Debbie said.
Debbie’s temporary loss of vision was likely caused by a retinal embolism, a side effect of calcium buildup in the bicuspid aorta. But Debbie’s vision had returned, and the valve was still healthy, so Dr. Nayak recommended close monitoring.
Then in 2011, Debbie developed endocarditis, an infection in the heart valve lining. She needed open-heart surgery to remove the infected bicuspid valve and replace it with a healthy one.
Debbie was admitted to the hospital and prepared her for emergency surgery. Lucas Collazo, MD, who is part of Inova’s cardiac surgery team and specializes in congenital heart conditions, successfully performed Debbie’s valve replacement surgery using a biological valve.
“Having emergency open heart surgery was scary, but Dr. Collazo and the Inova team were excellent,” said Debbie. “The surgery went smoothly and the doctors and nurses treated me with such care and kindness. After my recovery, I felt great.”
A Second Heart Surgery
Biological valves, usually taken from cows or pigs, need to be replaced after seven to 10 years. And in 2019, Dr. Nayak determined it was time for Debbie’s next open-heart surgery. Except this time, it wasn’t an emergency.
For her second surgery, Debbie received a metal mechanical valve, which lasts up to 30 years. Anyone with a mechanical valve must take blood thinners and aspirin every day.
Because she was on blood thinners and in good health, Debbie was not considered high risk for a stroke. “No one ever expects to have a stroke, but for me, it was an even bigger shock,” Debbie said. “We may never know why I had a stroke that day. But I know one thing: Inova saved my life not once or twice, but three times.”
Know the Signs of Stroke
Knowing the signs of a stroke and taking quick action are critical for stroke patients. If you think someone you know could be having a stroke, don’t wait — call 911 immediately. Learn the signs of stroke by remembering BE FAST:
B = Balance: Is the person suddenly having trouble with balance or coordination?
E = Eyes: Is the person experiencing blurred or double vision or a sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes?
F = Face drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb?
A = Arm weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S = Speech difficulty: Is the person slurring their words or unable to speak? Are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence like, “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?
T = Time: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get them to the hospital immediately.
Debbie is grateful her daughter was home the day of her stroke. It was the first of many fortunate events that led to her complete recovery from a dangerous event. “Alyssa said the day of my stroke was like a well-orchestrated play,” Debbie recalled. “And she’s right. I thank God she was home with me. And between the fast action of the EMS team, to my seamless transfer to Inova Fairfax Hospital, everything went perfectly.”
Debbie experienced a complete recovery, thanks to the fast action of her daughter and the Inova team. Today, she focuses on her family, friends and faith. “Each day is a gift, so I live my very best life every single day,” Debbie said. “And I tell people I will never move away from this area. The doctors, nurses and staff at Inova have a special place in my heart.”
If you see the BE FAST signs — even if you’re not sure — call 911 immediately. The quick action of Debbie’s daughter and the Inova team made a tremendous difference in Debbie’s outcome.
“Seconds count with a stroke, so don’t wait,” she says. “The doctors are here to help, and we have excellent stroke care close to home. I’m so thankful my daughter knew what to do and called 911 right away. That call saved my life.”
Learn more about the Inova Stroke Program and Inova stroke patient support groups, or find an Inova neurosurgical stroke specialist near you.
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