Stroke patient stories

For Physicians
The standard of care for acute ischemic stroke in most of today's hospital stroke centers is the administering of a clot-busting medication tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) within 3 to 4 1/2 hours of symptom onset. However, if the patient has missed the opportunity for early care, or tPA treatment has failed to fully dissolve the clot, alternative lifesaving "inside-the-artery," interventional procedures exist that may be used up to eight hours after the start of symptoms. When clinically appropriate, specialists can use these procedures to physically remove the clot from the artery to restore blood flow to the brain.

This website was developed to educate the public on the importance of immediate medical attention for acute ischemic stroke, and to raise awareness of the range of treatment options available at more advanced Stroke Centers around the country.

To learn more about the Penumbra System®, and interventional clot removal with aspiration technology, please visit www.penumbrainc.com.

On average, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds in the United States.

But, did you know stroke can be treated if you get to the right hospital in time?

Quick, efficient stroke treatment (QuEST) is critical for ischemic stroke victims to help preserve brain cells and reduce the risk of long-term disability, or even death.

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Surviving Stroke

Strokes are being treated with great success across the country. See how inside-the-artery treatment has stopped stroke.

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Polly, 80, was attending a local adult education class when she noticed she had trouble picking up her water bottle and couldn’t stand up from her chair. Her husband, Jim, saw that the right side of her face was drooping and her left arm was hanging limp. Suspecting she might be suffering a stroke, he immediately called 911. At the hospital, Polly was given tPA drug therapy to attempt to dissolve the blood clot that was causing her stroke. However, after a CAT scan revealed the clot had not fully dissolved, Polly’s doctor determined she was a candidate for inside-the-artery treatment.
Watch Polly's Video

Ronald, 79, has always lived an active life, exercising and playing golf on a regular basis. One morning, he was eating breakfast with his family when he began to experience intense numbness on the right side of his body and his wife noticed his face began to droop. She knew something was wrong and called 911 immediately. Ronald was rushed to a local hospital where the healthcare team conducted a CAT scan and realized he was suffering from an acute ischemic stroke, caused by a blood clot in his brain.
Watch Ronald's Video

Noor suffered a stroke when she was just 19 years old, after a car accident caused a severe tear in her left carotid artery. A couple hours after the accident while at the hospital, Noor realized that she suddenly was unable to speak, and her left arm had gone numb. Doctors diagnosed her with an ischemic stroke, resulting from a blood clot that had formed and lodged in her brain.
Read Noor's Story

At 22 years old, Cody suffered an ischemic stroke. He had been in a serious car accident, and while lying in his hospital bed Cody noticed that his arm was frozen, his face began to feel numb, the right side of his body tensed up, and he couldn’t speak.
Read Cody's Story

Donald, 65, was at home one Saturday evening when his wife, Margaret Sue, noticed that his mouth had drawn to the right side, he started slurring his speech and he was experiencing a loss of balance. She knew something was seriously wrong and called 911. The paramedics confirmed her suspicion that Donald was likely having a stroke.
Read Donald's Story