“I’m proud to call Essentia my hometown hospital.” Northlander thankful for Essentia Health’s stroke care

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every year about 795,000 people suffer a stroke. The alarming number includes one in every six deaths from cardiovascular disease attributed to a stroke.

It’s something 79-year-old Hermantown resident Tom Porter is thankful to have survived. He had a stroke in December 2022.

“I came home from work and I was dragging my foot,” Porter explained. “I didn’t think anything major was wrong and that I could just sleep it off.”

Porter said he wasn’t having any other stroke symptoms. However, when his foot continued to bother him the next day, his wife, Eleanor, drove him to the emergency department at Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth.

Porter explained to his care team what he had been experiencing. That conversation, along with a CT scan, indicated that he had a stroke. Porter would spend four days in the hospital for monitoring.

“Everyone that cared for me over those four days was so kind and careful with my care,” Porter said thankfully. “They are very good at what they do, and I had complete trust in them.”

The stroke caused Porter to lose some mobility in the right side of his body, mainly his leg. He had to get a wheelchair and was referred to Essentia’s stroke rehabilitation program.

“I can’t say enough about the team there,” Porter said. “They are solely responsible for getting me back on my feet, and I truly mean that.”

Stroke rehab is offered at several Essentia facilities. Patients can reclaim their independence by regaining skills, strength and abilities through proven methods provided by physical and occupational therapists, and others on the care team.

“They know exactly what they are doing. I’d even try and cheat on it sometimes,” he joked, “but they are on top of it and made sure I was doing exactly what I needed to regain my mobility.”

For the next several weeks, Porter routinely went to his rehab appointments and was able to ditch the wheelchair and, eventually, the walker.

“It wasn’t an easy program, but I’m glad I did it because I don’t think I’d be where I’m at today without it,” he said. “You get out of it what you put into it, and I’m glad I went through it.”

Knowing what he does, Porter urges anyone who feels like something is off to get help immediately.

“Act quickly,” he said enthusiastically. “If you think something is wrong, go to the hospital and don’t wait. I ignored my stroke and it caused a lot more problems for me.”

Fortunately for Porter, he had a team of experts to care for him and help him recover.

“The people that work at Essentia, whether it’s doctors or nurses, the therapists or anyone else, they all walk on water as far as I’m concerned,” Porter said. “I’m proud to call Essentia my hometown hospital.”

Now fully recovered, Porter, whose family includes his wife, two kids, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, is sure to be busy. It’s a a busy he’s thankful for.

“I was definitely given a second shot at life, and for that I’m grateful because I have too much to finish in this life,” he said.

Essentia’s award-winning stroke care program comes with a variety of treatment options for patients, starting with our high-tech NASCAR room – which stands for Neuro Angio-Suite for Cerebral Arterial Reperfusion. There, specialists can perform an emergent stroke thrombectomy, a procedure in which a catheter is inserted in a groin or arm artery and navigated with expert precision to the brain to remove potentially deadly blood clots.

Our stroke thrombectomy treatment can be provided up to 24 hours from symptom onset, and in some cases longer. Done in a timely manner, stroke thrombectomy can prevent profound neurological deficits, such as paralysis, loss of language function, inability to speak or swallow and even death.

Dr. Vikram Jadhav (Dr. Vic), an interventional neurologist at Essentia, says taking care of your body is one of the surest ways to prevent a stroke. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and diabetes are the leading causes of stroke, with one in three U.S. adults having at least one of these conditions or habits, according to the CDC. Dr. Vic says it’s important to monitor your health and minimize risk factors by eating healthy and staying physically active. 

One of the surest ways to prevent long-term side effects associated with a stroke is to act fast when signs and symptoms occur. Symptoms include sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, confusion or trouble speaking, loss of or blurry vision, dizziness and a sudden severe headache.

The acronym BEFAST is a useful tool. It stands for:

Balance: Does the person have sudden loss of balance?

Eyes: Has the person lost vision in one or both eyes?

Face: Smile. Does one side of the face droop?

Arms: Raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

Speech: Repeat a simple phrase. Is speech slurred or strange?

Time: If you observe any of these signs, it’s time to call 911 right away.

Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center’s Advanced Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center is a nationally accredited care unit. Certified by the Joint Commission, St. Mary’s is the only facility in the Northland certified to remove clots from blood vessels in the brain to re-establish blood flow. This certification requires that Essentia offer 24-7 stroke care with the most stringent standards.