F
or most folks, the
prevailing percep-
tion of strokes is
that they are some-
thing that only
happens to older
people. Not so. Just askMcKinney
resident Michael Khoury, who, at
the youthful age of , experienced
a stroke firsthand.
✦
“The weird
‘fluke’ thing about it is nobody in
my family had ever experienced
anything like that before,” says the Boyd
High School psychology and sociology
teacher and soccer coach. “I’m told the
average age for a stroke is . This is why
it’s so important for people to understand
it can happen to anyone and to become
familiar with the symptoms of a stroke.”
THREE YEARS AGO…
Up until the very
moment Khoury’s stroke struck, the
day, January 1, 2011, was much like any
other. “I was at the school preparing for
a game and talking to a fellow coach,”
he says. “I was in mid-sentence when
something suddenly happened—I just
couldn’t get the words out. Then I saw
Our Primary Stroke Center has been
certified for the fourth time in a row!
It highlights the exceptional stroke care
we provide for our patients.
Signs and
symptoms of stroke:
■
Trouble with walking.
■
Difficulty speaking and/or understanding.
■
Paralysis or numbness of the face, arm
or leg.
■
Trouble with seeing in one or both eyes.
■
Headache.
If you notice any signs or symptoms of
a stroke, call 911 immediately. Remember,
every minute—and every second—counts
in the event of a stroke.
my hand drop in surreal slow motion,
as it was disconnecting from my central
nervous system. Luckily, my right leg was
still functioning—albeit, not fully—so
I was able to stumble onto a table to lie
down. The funny thing is there was ab-
solutely no pain. I guess that’s the point,
right? Sometimes you don’t feel anything
when you are having a stroke.”
Initial feelings Khoury does remember
were confusion and embarrassment. “It
happened where many kids could see me,
and I hated that feeling of helplessness,” he
says. “I just didn’t want to be the guy in
that position. I wasn’t panicking because
I didn’t know what was happening to me;
thank God those around me did.”
An ambulance arrived and quickly
transported Khoury to the emergency de-
partment at Medical Center of McKinney
(MCM). “I have so many people to thank:
my friends at the school, because they
called 11 immediately; the paramedics,
who did a great job of getting me safely
and quickly to where I needed to be; and,
of course, the emergency department team
at MCMwho wasted no time in evaluating
and treating me,” Khoury says.
Despite the countless patients Cassidi
Roberts, RN, emergency room director at
MCM, has seen during her 12-year career
as an ER nurse, she says the memory of
when Khoury came to MCM’s ER remains
surprisingly vivid. “On that day when
I received the EMS report activating a
‘code stroke’ for a -year-old man who
was having difficulty speaking and mov-
ing his right arm and leg, I questioned
whether this could be the real deal,” she
says. “However, the moment he was rolled
in the door, I knew we had to act fast and
get this young man treatment right away.”
Mike Mixon, RN and MCM trauma
and stroke coordinator, also clearly recalls
three years ago when Khoury came to the
ER. “He couldn’t write anything because
he is not left-handed, so the only way we
were able to communicate with him was
by telling him to blink one time for this
or two times for that,” he says.
TPA, THE GOLD STANDARD
The first
form of treatment MCM’s emergency team
immediately administered to Khoury was
tissue plasminogen activator, more com-
monly known as tPA. Widely considered
the gold standard, tPA is the only FDA-
approved treatment for ischemic stroke. It
works by dissolving the clot and improv-
ing blood flow to the part of the brain
being deprived of blood flow.
“I believe tPA is the main reason Mi-
chael was able to recover as well as he
did,” Mixon says. “I remember telling him
‘You’re going to make it through this, and
we’ll be right here with you.’ Fortunately
Michael was brought to a certified Primary
Stroke Center such as MCMwhere we were
able to quickly evaluate and treat him.”
RECOVERING AND REBUILDING
While
there’s no question Khoury has made great
strides in reclaiming his former life, he is
the first to admit struggles remain. “Im-
mediately following the stroke, I could
not make a single sound. I remember
trying so hard and finally being able to
say my wife’s name, Mayu,” he says. “I’ve
continued to work really hard and to talk
as much as possible. I still speak slowly,
and sometimes after a day of teaching,
my mouth muscles are really sore since it
is a constant effort to talk fast enough to
maintain the kids’ attention.”
Despite the challenges Khoury has faced
during the past three years, he remains an
optimistic and happy person. Since the
stroke, he has also achieved a number of
significant life goals: He earned a master’s
degree from the University of North Texas
in Denton; helped coach a soccer team to
the regional finals; purchased a home; and,
above all, he and his wife welcomed their
first child, daughter Liv, in January 201.
“Looking back, I understand other
people who have experienced strokes have
repercussions much more severe than
mine. I realize how lucky I am and that I
was definitely at the right place at the right
time,” Khoury says. “I want to take this
opportunity to say ‘Thanks’ to everyone
in the ER at MCM for being there for me.
They were all so professional and skilled at
what they do. Equally as important, they
showed me and my family nothing but
kindness and patience.”
SHOWING
STROKE
Mike Mixon (left) MCM Trauma Coordinator, and Cassidi Roberts, RN, MCM
ER Director, cared for Michael Khoury (center) when he came into the ER.
THE
RED
CARD
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