Until last year, Doug had rarely been to the hospital but was a familiar face at Tallahassee Memorial’s Premier Heath & Fitness Center, where he had been a member for 16 years. Despite an active lifestyle and excellent health, he suffered a stroke one day after his routine workout, suddenly collapsing beside an elliptical machine.
Len Harvey, Director of Premier Health & Fitness Center rushed to his side, and staff members immediately contacted emergency services.
“I am very fortunate I was at Premier, surrounded by people who are trained to recognize when someone is in distress,” says Doug.
First directed to the Bixler Emergency Center, when medications to break up the clot were ineffective, Doug was immediately transferred to Tallahassee Memorial’s brand new neurovascular suite for a state of the art procedure.
“Time is critical for stroke patients, which is why bringing advanced neurovascular treatments to the region was such an important undertaking for Tallahassee Memorial,” says endovascular neurosurgeon, Matthew Lawson, MD. “With care immediately available in our community, stroke patients can get the care they need quickly, which is key to better outcomes longterm.”
Doug was the first in the region to undergo a thrombectomy to treat stoke. The minimally invasive procedure allows for the removal of blood clots in the brain without an incision to the skull.
Following his procedure and two weeks in rehabilitation, Doug was eager to return to the gym. “I am convinced there is now way I would have recovered as well if I hadn’t been in as good of health before the stroke. As soon as I finished with rehab, I wanted to be back at Premier,” he says.
Doug quickly discovered he was not quite ready for this step but found support through another new offering at Tallahassee Memorial, the Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Center. Here, Doug spent three-and-half months working out under the guidance of expert trainers. Today, he is back at Premier Health & Fitness Center, working out on a regular basis. He has regained almost full muscle strength and control, returned to work, and is looking forward to vacationing with his grandchildren.
“I am so thankful Dr. Lawson was here, and the technology and programs were available so my treatment could take place. I cannot say enough about all the resources at TMH,” Doug says.
