Submitted by St. Dominic
On a Sunday morning last December, Ryan McBride, 46, was making breakfast before his youngest daughter’s final “Nutcracker” performance.
This normal routine ended with a medical emergency. Thanks to his daughters’ swift action, Ryan received immediate treatment and is recovering from a stroke.
As Ryan was flipping pancakes for his 7-year-old, Rachel Elise, he noticed his right arm started moving involuntarily. Eventually he could no longer hold the syrup.
Rachel Elise recognized the change and wouldn’t let him brush it off. She ran to wake up her 14-year-old sister, Riz, and together they called 911.
Ryan’s wife was on a trip, but a neighbor helped after he lost consciousness. The next thing Ryan remembers is the paramedics’ arrival.
Ryan noticed his symptoms around 8 a.m., and by 8:20 he was on his way to the hospital. By 9:30 he was receiving the clot-busting drug tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), which is most effective in the first four and a half hours of stroke symptoms.
Expert care at St. Dominic’s
Ryan was taken to St. Dominic Hospital, where he received excellent care from people he knows. Ryan is physician practice manager at the St. Dominic’s Family Medicine clinic at Dogwood.
“I attribute my life today to the care, speed and reaction of everyone involved,” Ryan says.
St. Dominic Hospital has the highest level of stroke certification available and is the first in Mississippi to earn the designation from The Joint Commission. St. Dominic’s Comprehensive Stroke Center offers rapid diagnosis, high-tech intervention, expert care and intensive rehabilitation in a caring, compassionate setting.
Remarkable recovery
Ryan was discharged the following Wednesday afternoon. Although he was off work for a few months, his colleagues were instrumental in diagnosing the cause of his stroke.
Ryan’s wife, Mona, notified Dr. Rebekah Moulder, who practices at the clinic Ryan manages, when he was being transported to the ER. Dr. Moulder came to the ER and recommended checking Ryan’s heart, which led to the discovery of a PFO (patent foramen ovale). This hole in the heart usually closes shortly after birth, but Ryan’s had not.
“My cholesterol was good, and my blood pressure is controlled with meds,” Ryan says. “There was no indication that I ever had this PFO.”
Ryan has made lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise. “I am more in tune with my body, with knowing what my limitations are,” he says.
Understanding what to do when a stroke happens can save lives, because minutes matter when it comes to stroke.
Learn more and take a free quiz to learn about your stroke risk at stdom.com/stroke.
