Kauvery Kathaigal : 5
The Dual Crisis: Sudden myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke.
Patient: Young man working abroad.
Condition: Arteries clogged at two sites (heart and brain).
Patient's Story
Our patient was a young man working abroad. He had an educated, working wife who opted to be a full-time mother to their two lively little girls. This young man suffered a double whammy when his arteries turned truant, clogging the pathways to both his heart and brain. This resulted in a myocardial infarction and an ischemic stroke that left his voice, one side of his face and one hand weak- diagnosed as dysphasia, facial palsy, and monoparesis.
To prevent future catastrophes, risk factors needed to be identified and set right. Medical evaluation revealed vascular risk factors—hypertension and dyslipidemia—alongside an endocrine factor in the background, which was hypothyroidism. A rehabilitation team stepped in to systematically address his three deficits and disabilities, focusing on mitigating all these factors to keep him safe in the future.
Outcome
While his arteries aged earlier due to his risk factors, his relative youth came to his rescue through neuroplasticity. Following the systematic efforts of the rehabilitation teams, he can now speak his long name well, give a smile, elevate his arm overhead, and grip a hand in a shake that is weak but determined.
Conclusion
“You are as old as your arteries are,” as Nobel prize-winning vascular surgeon Dr. Alexis Carrel said long back. We must mitigate all identified risk factors to keep the patient safe in the future.
Where there is hope, there is life
