Lemont Man Has Amazing Recovery due to Stroke-Busting Drug at Silver Cross Hospital

May is National Stroke Awareness Month

Mike and Peggy Steidel weren’t sure what to think when Emergency Department personnel at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox recommended using a new blood clot-busting drug to help save his life earlier this year. 

Only an hour or so before that Sunday in March, an ambulance had taken Mike, 86, from his Lemont home after his sister-in-law noticed he was showing signs of a stroke. 

After Mike had a precautionary CT scan, Peggy gave the go-ahead to hook her husband up to an IV port to administer the drug.

“Mike could barely talk or walk, and couldn’t lift his arms above his shoulders,” Peggy said. “Fifteen minutes after they give him the drug, I look over, and his whole appearance had changed. He was back to his old self and talking fine. I said, ‘You’re going to be all right.’ I called in the nurse, and she started smiling.” 

Peggy believes the 50 people from her church praying for Mike helped a lot too. No doubt, but that drug, called Tenecteplase – or TNK – had a lot to do with the remarkably quick turnaround as well. 

New Clot-Buster

TNK has been used for years to treat heart attacks, but several years ago, doctors saw its clot-busting attributes worked on stroke patients as well. 

Genevieve Shimkus, RN, Silver Cross’ Stroke Program Coordinator, said the hospital had just switched over to using TNK, which they saw offered less chance of bleeding and better neurological outcomes than the previous stroke therapy medicine, Alteplase. 

“Studies show TNK may do a better job of breaking up the clots than Alteplase, which merely dissolves them,” she said. “And it begins working more quickly, a few minutes rather than an hour for Alteplase.” 

Not only did TNK work for Mike quickly, but he was able to be discharged in two days with no remaining stroke symptoms. Before, Shimkus said, stroke patients often see some improvement in the first day and need to spend three days in the hospital. 

“I visited them in his ICU room when I got in two days later, and I said, ‘You’re ready to go to a regular room.’ And his wife said, ‘No, we’re going home!” 

Fast Reactions Were Key

Two days earlier, Peggy had come home from Mass to see her sister, JoAnn, helping Mike. “She had called 9-1-1, so she helped save his life, too.” 

Mike said he was watching Mass on television, and when he started to say something to JoAnn, “nothing would come out. I finally got my index finger to work so I could motion her over. I had to have her bend close so she could hear me.” 

Thankfully, Peggy said, the Lemont Fire Department ambulance was only three blocks away. They got there quickly and helped get Mike in the ambulance. 

“If you see someone is suffering from a stroke, do not drive them to the hospital,” Peggy said. “Call 9-1-1. The paramedics are able to call ahead to the hospital, and Silver Cross had everything ready with a room for him.” 

Unfortunately, about half of stroke victims come to the hospital driven by a well-meaning family member or friend, Shimkus said. With stroke, time is brain so every moment counts. Any additional time spent driving a family member to the hospital without paramedic attention and communication to the nearest hospital could mean permanent disability – or even death – for the stroke victim. 

Lucky First

While Mike and his wife were in the Emergency Department, medical personnel conferred with the neurologist on call, Dr. Bassel Kazkaz. 

They determined Mike met the requirements for administering TNK. Those with bleeding disorders or who are taking blood thinners can’t use it. And, since Silver Cross had received the drug only a few days before, Mike would be their first patient to use it. 

“It went very well,” said Dr. Kazkaz. “He was even released straight from the ICU instead of going to a room. We saw TNK worked well in trials; now we could see it did for ourselves.” 

Since then, Shimkus said, they have used TNK on about a dozen more patients, all with good results so far. 

“We evaluate stroke victims 90 days after their procedures to see how their recovery is going as the brain heals,” she said. 

Also, it’s critical they know when the symptoms began, because TNK has to be administered within four and a half hours of those symptoms, she said. “So, those who wake up to stroke symptoms aren’t able to receive TNK because we don’t know for sure when the symptoms started. 

“We also administer a CT scan to stroke patients on arrival. Some broken blood vessels in the brain present the same as blood clots. But using a blood thinner in those cases would be catastrophic.” 

While all patients have responded well to TNK, Shimkus said, everyone heals differently and at their own pace. 

“What is amazing about Mike is that his symptoms disappeared almost immediately, and he was able to go home two days later.” 

Mike said he feels great, and he and Peggy are just thankful for the care they got at Silver Cross. 

“Silver Cross was just excellent. The doctors, the nurses, the staff – they were just wonderful. And they saved my husband’s life.” 

As a Certified Primary Stroke Center, Silver Cross Hospital has demonstrated its ability to provide expert stroke care around the clock. A multi-disciplinary team that includes highly skilled neurologists, neuro-interventionalists, emergency department specialists, radiologists, neurosurgeons, nurses, therapists, pharmacists, technicians and more...works together in a coordinated, collaborative system to ensure the best outcomes for patients who've suffered a stroke. 

For more information on stroke care at Silver Cross, visit silvercross.org or contact Genevieve Shimkus, RN, Stroke Program Coordinator, at (815) 300-2775.