Richard’s Story

One Saturday morning, as Cyndie Paul carried out her usual weekend routine, she noticed her husband Rich hadn’t gotten out of bed yet, despite the fact that it was past noon. When he finally made it to the kitchen, he attempted to make breakfast and was unaware that she was trying to get his attention.

“I noticed that he was holding the skillet at an odd angle and its contents were falling out,” Cyndie recalls. “When I walked towards him and got a closer look, I was horrified – his eyes were bulging, the left side of his face was lopsided and his speech was slurred.”

After calling 911, the paramedics arrived and informed Cyndie that her husband had suffered a stroke. Even though there were closer hospitals nearby, they told her they would take him to Florida Medical Center because of its status as a Comprehensive Stroke Center.

Once they arrived at the emergency room, Rich underwent various tests, including a CT scan and an MRI. He was admitted to the hospital and scheduled to have an urgent angiogram and possible vertebral stent the next morning with neurologist Dr. Nils Mueller. However, Rich suddenly had a second stroke and required an emergent procedure to remove the clot.

“Dr. Mueller worked tirelessly to save my husband and ensure that my son Bryan and I were comfortable as we waited,” Cyndie says. “He also kept us well-informed of the surgery’s progression with pictures and in-depth explanations.”

After the procedure, Rich stayed in the hospital for a few more days. During this time, the nurses and physicians who cared for him in the ER came by to check on him.

“With so many people worried about our well-being, we felt like part of the Florida Medical Center family,” says Cyndie.

Following discharge, Rich underwent physical and occupational therapy, but thanks to the excellent treatment he received at the hospital, the therapists said he needed very little rehabilitation. The couple is thankful that Rich doesn’t have any critical, lasting effects. At the advice of his physicians, he has stopped smoking, drinking and has cleaned up his diet significantly.

“My husband is now in a much better physical state than before the strokes and is looking forward to getting back to work as an A/C mechanic, living a full life and spending more time with his family,” Cyndie says. “We are eternally grateful to Florida Medical Center for giving us the chance to enjoy many more years together.”

Source: Florida Medical Center