Signs Lead to a Stroke But Help to Save a Life

Today, Nicki Petrelli is living life to the fullest and ran in the Stride4Stroke 5K walk/run at Rice Stadium held on Saturday, March 7.

In church in May 2007, Nicki Petrelli received a sign — not divine, but one that nevertheless changed her life.

During the service she suddenly slumped into a man sitting in the pew next to her. Nicki tried to lean the other way, and she found it hard to compensate for her apparent lack of balance.

Then her concentration clouded; Nicki couldn't focus on anything around her. As her then fiancé, John Petrelli, tried to take her outside for some air, she collapsed.

Recognizing the Symptoms
John suspected he was seeing signs that his 27-year-old fiancée was having a stroke. He recognized these symptoms because his grandfather suffered a stroke. He immediately called 911.

Nicki, meanwhile, couldn't figure out why an ambulance was called. She was annoyed that the EMTs spotted her dress with a drop of blood. And, she was frustrated that the words she wanted to speak couldn't get out of her head.

"John saw and recognized the paralysis on one side of my face, he saw me struggling to speak and maintain my balance," Nicki says. "Because of him, I was able to get to the hospital quickly."

Fast Treatment for a Better Outcome
Once in the emergency room at The Methodist Hospital, Nicki quickly received the clot-busting drug tPA, which dissolved the clot that caused her stroke. Subsequent tests showed that Nicki actually had a congenital heart defect, a small hole in her heart that caused the clot to break free and flow up to her brain.

"Although it was a frightening experience, the stroke was a sign that I had something seriously wrong," Nicki says. She had surgery to correct the problem. Today she is living life to the fullest and ran in the Stride4Stroke 5K walk/run at Rice Stadium held on Saturday, March 7.

The third annual event, sponsored by The Methodist Hospital System, raises awareness and funds to help reduce the incidence of stroke in the greater Houston area. Making more people aware of the signs and symptoms of a stroke can get patients to the hospital more quickly and increase their chances for a more complete recovery.

Time Is of the Essence
"When you're having a stroke you really are dependent on other people to recognize the signs and call 911," says Jan Flewelling, RN, a stroke educator at The Methodist Hospital's Eddy Scurlock Stroke Center. "If it's happening to you, you may not be able to take the steps to save yourself.

"Each second that ticks away is another second of damage being done to the brain," Flewelling adds. The drug that Nicki received, tPA, is the only FDA-approved clot buster, and it must be administered within three hours of the onset of symptoms for it to be effective.

The warning signs of a stroke that John saw in his fiancée include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body;
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding;
• Sudden trouble seeing and/or walking, or a loss of balance or coordination; and
• Sudden, severe headache with no cause.

"I did not know I was even old enough to have a stroke," Nicki says. "I exercise and run, and I always thought I was in pretty good shape." She runs about 3 miles a day, and has competed in a half marathon. Nicki, a Houston attorney, is now fully recovered from her stroke. In November 2008, Nicki and John were married.

For more information on the Taking Stride4Stroke: Community Awareness Campaign, call 866-896-5927 or visit www.methodiststride4stroke.com.