A Stroke Survivor’s Story of Hope

Photo courtesy of Audrey Patterson

With the support of Ozarks Healthcare, Audrey Patterson found healing, strength, and a renewed outlook on life after a sudden stroke.

Audrey Patterson’s day started out like any other last spring. The 67-year-old got ready for work and began driving to her job as a cook. It was on this short commute that the day took a sharp, terrifying turn.

“As I crossed the bridge I kind of lost track of where I was. I felt real funny,” she said. “So I pulled over and it’s a good thing I did. I kind of lost track of time and blacked out.

“When I finally came back to myself, I didn't really know who I was or where I was or what was going on or anything. That's kinda scary. So, I sat there a little bit.”

Patterson had the presence of mind to start rummaging through her vehicle for clues about who she was.

“I got into the glove box and figured out that this must be my truck I was in, that that must be me on the title,” she said. “When I got in my purse and found my driver’s license, I looked in the mirror and figured out, huh, that must be me in the picture.”

Still unaware of what she was doing or where she was going, she put the truck in gear and followed the navigation system to work.

“My truck automatically pulled into my job and I thought, ‘Well, I must work here then,’” she said. “I went in and it took about 30 minutes for me to figure out, yeah, I work here. I knew what to do, but I was really kind of off most of the morning.”

Patterson’s supervisor quickly noticed she wasn’t herself. When she explained her morning, he suggested she go to the hospital. Her mannerisms and slurred speech were consistent with someone suffering a stroke.

“Well, I wasn't speaking clearly and I wasn't thinking clearly and my whole left side was off,” she said. “I was kind of dragging my left side and my left arm wasn't functioning, and my left eye was half closed. So, yeah, it wasn't a good day.

“My boss said, ‘I think you had a stroke and should go to the hospital,’ and I was like, ‘Yeah I think you’re right.’ I was going to drive myself to the hospital, but he insisted I call home for help or he would drive me himself.”

When Patterson arrived at Ozarks Healthcare, the medical staff was ready to act. They ran tests that confirmed she’d had a stroke and immediately started her on medication to counteract its effects.

“They told my son and me it was a minor stroke,” she said. “They came in and said they really needed to give me a shot of something. They gave me tPA, which is a stroke shot, and that straightened me up in about five hours.”

Despite the frightening ordeal, Patterson left the hospital just a couple of days later, feeling closer to her old self. She went home with a prescription to help keep her symptoms at bay and exercises to strengthen her left side. Today, her symptoms return only when she’s tired. Otherwise, she feels about “85 to 90 percent” back to normal—something she credits in large part to the care she received.

“They were good to me, way too good,” she said of the staff. “They’ve done the best they could and I’ve done the best I could, and we got through it. You can’t let stuff get you down, you know? You just gotta get yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep on moving.”