A New Road To Travel

A New Road to Travel

By Brett Phelps

Eighty-one-year-old Jim Henry has always lived life to the fullest. However, on June 6, 2017, Henry’s life changed forever when he experienced a series of debilitating strokes. While Henry grieves the loss of his former life, he is adapting to a new road he did not intend to travel.

Join Jim as he strives to accept and overcome the challenges of life after suffering a stroke.

Jim Henry didn’t heed the warning signs. While eating breakfast, Jim reached for his coffee cup. However, his left arm wouldn’t move. His arm hung lifeless. Thirty minutes passed before he regained the use of his arm. Jim missed his first warning sign of a stroke.

A Life Altering Day

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

8:00 a.m.

Jim lost the use of his left arm while drinking his morning coffee with his wife Mollie at their home in Bardstown, KY.

8:30 a.m.

The numbness in his arm subsided, and Jim could move his arm again.

9:00 a.m

Jim resumed his regular daily routine and spent the day working around his home.

6:00 p.m.

Jim and Mollie met friends for dinner at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Bardstown, KY.

6:30 p.m.

During dinner, Jim lost the use of his left arm and leg.

7:00 p.m.

Mollie drove Jim to Flaget Hospital in Bardstown, KY, where the medical staff determined he had suffered a stroke and administered emergency IV clot-busting Medication and blood thinners.

7:30 p.m.

Jim was transported in a medivac helicopter to the University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville, KY, where he received scans and treatments in its comprehensive stroke care center.

Jim's three-day hospital stay was just the beginning of his road to recovery.

"I was the picture of health for my age ... Why did this happen to me?"
– Jim Henry

What is a stroke?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, a stroke, sometimes referred to as a brain attack, occurs when the blood supply to the brain is blocked. The oxygen the blood carries cannot reach the brain cells, causing the cells to die eventually.

Illustration by Centers for Disease Control

According to Johns Hopkins Medical, there are two main types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes occur when the blood flow is blocked or reduced by blood clots or plaque made of fat and cholesterol that builds up in the lining of the artery wall. Eighty-seven percent of strokes are ischemic strokes, such as Jim’s. The second type of stroke is called hemorrhagic and occurs when there is bleeding caused by a weakened blood vessel in the brain that ruptures and leaks into the surrounding brain tissue. Too much pressure from the bleeding causes damage to the cells in the brain.

What are the risk factors for a stroke?

Source: Mayo Clinic

Race or Ethnicity

Black and Hispanic people are more likely to have high blood pressure, increasing their risk of stroke.
Alcohol Consumption and Smoking

Consuming large amounts of alcohol can cause high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation.
Obesity

The inflammation caused by excess fatty tissue can narrow and clog arteries and contribute to high blood pressure and diabetes.
Age

Individuals age 55 and older are at greater risk of stroke due to natural wear and tear on blood vessels. Approximately 75% of all strokes occur in persons aged 65+ years.
Sex

While men often have a higher risk of stroke than women, women are typically older when they experience strokes and more likely to die of strokes than men.
Diabetes

High glucose levels can damage blood vessels over time, increasing the chance of stroke.
COVID-19 Infection

The virus that causes COVID-19 can cause an inflammatory response that thickens an individual’s blood, making it more likely to clot and lead to stroke.
Hormones

Hormonal therapies and birth control pills containing Estrogen cause the clotting proteins in a woman’s body to thicken, causing an increased risk of blood clots and stroke.
High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol and/or Heart Disease

The constant force of high blood pressure weakens the blood vessels in the brain, making them more prone to narrowing, rupturing, or developing blood clots. High cholesterol from foods loaded with saturated and trans fats can cause plaque to build and narrow the artery walls, leading to blocked blood flow or blood clots. Heart disease can lead to atherosclerosis, which causes blood clots that block blood flow.
Family History of Strokes

There are genetic risk factors that may increase stroke risk factors, such as elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.

Jim thinks his healthy lifestyle lowered his potential risk of experiencing strokes earlier in life. Left: Jim poses with his wife, Mollie, at Yosemite National Park in the summer of 2004. Center: Jim works as a maintenance technician at IBM in San Jose, California, from 1979 to 1992. Right: Jim water skis at Lake Cumberland, Kentucky, during the summer of 2010.

Before June 6, 2017, Jim lived an active and healthy lifestyle. He exercised daily, ate a well-balanced diet and maintained an ideal weight. Jim did not have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes and neither did his family members. Jim did not consume large amounts of alcohol nor smoke tobacco. The only risk factor for a stroke that Jim had was being a male over the age of 55 years.

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

After spending three days at the University of Louisville Hospital, Jim was transferred to the Health South Rehabilitation Center in Elizabethtown, KY, where he received physical and occupational therapy as part of his recovery treatment for the next two weeks. Although the feeling and some movement returned in his left arm, Jim did not regain the feeling in his left leg. On June 21, 2017, Jim was released from the rehabilitation center and returned to his home in Bardstown, KY, where his wife, Mollie, became his caregiver.

“I should have listened to Mollie when the stroke hit me that morning. She tried to take me to the hospital, but I wouldn’t go. When it hit again that evening, Mollie insisted that I go to the emergency room at the local hospital. I feel guilty now. If I had listened to Mollie that morning, the doctors could have treated me sooner, and I might not have to rely on her so much now.” – Jim Henry

For the next 6 weeks, Mollie drove Jim to physical therapy twice weekly. At home, she helped him bathe, dress, and prepare meals. Jim continued to struggle with the use of his left arm and leg and began to show signs of agitation and memory loss. Mollie and Jim followed the advice of his doctors and started implementing strategies to help Jim stay physically and mentally active.

Since his health insurance company would no longer pay for physical therapy, Jim joined the local Planet Fitness gym in Bardstown, KY, hoping to regain more mobility in his left arm and leg. However, he found more than physical healing at the gym.

Exercising at the local Planet Fitness helps Jim strengthen his weakened muscles and improves his mental health by socializing with others.

“I didn’t know if I would be able to be ‘me’ again after the strokes. I was becoming depressed. At the gym, not only did I regain some strength, but I found a community of people who were rooting for me.”
– Jim Henry

Jim also joined a patient support group in Elizabethtown, KY, to learn how others manage their stroke conditions. These monthly meetings also provide Mollie with a network of other caregivers to bond with and share stories.

Jim and other stroke survivors converse at the monthly meeting of the Encompass Rehabilitation Hospital of Central Kentucky’s Stroke Support Group held at the Swope Toyota dealership in Elizabethtown, KY, on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.

What are rehabilitation strategies after a stroke?

Source: National Institute of Health

Mollie has struggled to find ways to keep Jim’s spirits up while not becoming depressed herself. According to the National Institute of Health, caregivers of stroke survivors experience adverse effects on their psychological well-being due to their lack of social engagement and inability to participate in valued activities and interests.

“It’s been tough to see Jim lose his independence. I try to reassure him that he’s not a burden to me. I married him in sickness and in health. We are both having to adjust to life after his stroke.”
– Mollie Henry

“

“I’m very lucky to have my wife. If it weren’t for Mollie, I wouldn’t want to be on this journey.”

— Jim Henry

Jim and Mollie Henry hold hands in their home in Bardstown, KY, on November 11, 2023. Mollie has become Jim’s caregiver after he suffered a series of strokes. The couple have been married for 53 years.