Area Resident Doing Well Following Stroke

Kearney resident Pauline Johnson doesn’t remember much about her stroke in January. But she and her family are thankful for the care they received at Mary Lanning Healthcare, a Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Center. 

Pauline’s children, Mark Johnson, Connie Kirkpatrick and Mary Pitcher, shared Pauline’s story recently as part of Stroke Awareness Month.   

Pauline, who turns 87 in May, is now back to work as a breakfast host for Microtel in Kearney. She has no deficits from her stroke. 

The family was attending a late Christmas celebration at Goldbeck Towers, where Pauline’s daughter, Nancy, lives.  

Pauline got up to put her coat on at the end of the day, “and I don’t remember anything after that,” she said.  

Her children said that family members saw a strange look cross Pauline’s face and a niece sat her in a chair. Half of Pauline’s face drooped and she slumped down. That’s when the family knew she was having a stroke and called 9-1-1. 

Ambulance response was quick because the unit was nearby when the call came in. Daughters Connie and Mary went to Mary Lanning Healthcare with their mother, where she received a TPA injection quite quickly. Shortly thereafter, Connie said, her mother became unresponsive. 

Dr. Maxwell Nyce was the neurologist on call at the time. The sisters said he kept them 

informed every step of the way as the entire team worked with Pauline. 

“It was so impressive to watch that team work,” Mary said. “They were totally focused on mom.”                                                                                                                                     

MLH is a Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Center. It’s Stroke Team takes a multidisciplinary approach to treating stroke patients, and getting them help quickly. 

Eventually, Pauline became responsive once again and it was determined she had a blood clot on her brain stem and needed surgery in Omaha. 

“Everyone was very helpful,” Connie said. “They contacted Lincoln and Omaha to see which team was available for surgery, and the speed of the helicopter arriving was helpful despite it being stormy out.” 

When her daughters saw Pauline the morning after her surgery, she was already asking for paper and pen to write down her questions. 

“She was about back to normal,” they said. They brought her home three days later. 

Pauline’s son Mark emphasized that the timing of everything, the quick response and the immediate care Pauline received made a big difference in her outcome. 

“Timing was just everything,” he said. 

These days, Pauline says she feels “wonderful” and is enjoying attending many events, going to the senior center and seeing her grandchildren. She also has followed up by seeing Dr. Lorraine Edwards for appointments and Andrew McCarthy, BSN RN SCRN LSSGB, in the Mary Lanning Healthcare Stroke Clinic. 

For more information on stroke and MLH’s Stroke Team, please see www.marylanning.org/stroke.