Brought to you by: Mercy Hospital

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For Edmond runner Brenda Leonard, quick actions led to stroke recovery

 
BY SUSAN SIMPSON | Published: April 5, 2009    Comment on this article Leave a comment


Until last month, Brenda Leonard felt the healthiest she’d been since childhood. She’d lost 85 pounds, taken up running and was a regular in the 10K circuit.

photo - Brenda Leonard jogs through her Edmond neighborhood recently. PHOTO BY DAVID MCDANIEL, THE OKLAHOMAN
Brenda Leonard jogs through her Edmond neighborhood recently. PHOTO BY DAVID MCDANIEL, THE OKLAHOMAN

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She was getting ready for a run one morning last month when her lithe, muscular body suddenly failed her. She heard a loud buzzing and then lost control of her arm and leg movements. Stumbling to her 18-year-old son Joshua, she told him something wasn’t right. She needed help.

She was having an ischemic, or blood clot, stroke. Quick action by her son, who called 911, likely kept her from suffering debilitating brain damage.

Because she got to Mercy Medical Center so quickly, doctors there were able to run scans and administer a clot-busting drug — called tissue plasminogen activator — within a critical "door-to-needle” three-hour period.

Within minutes, Leonard was better able to focus her eyes and control her movements. Her voice was not slurring. A day later, she was weak, but back to normal.

"She’s very lucky she got it recognized right away,” said neurosurgeon Dr.

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Related Topics: Health and Fitness, Stroke, Vascular Disorders, Cardiovascular Medicine, Brain and Nerve Health, Blood Clots and Embolisms



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