Tami’s Journey: Overcoming a Stroke and Moving Forward
In 2018, Tami moved from Kansas City to Paw Paw to start a new chapter with her mother after her father passed away. She wasn’t seeing a doctor regularly but considered herself relatively healthy. However, in April 2024, her health took an unexpected turn.
One day, Tami was outside with her horse, Belle, while a farrier was trimming the horse’s hooves. Belle jerked forward, knocking into Tami. She felt strange, lightheaded and off-balance, but brushed it off. The next day, Tami noticed she was seeing spots and wasn’t feeling quite right. When she struggled to speak to her mother, they realized something serious was happening.
Her mother quickly called 911, and Tami was taken by Van Buren EMS ambulance to Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. There, doctors discovered she had suffered four strokes. Clots had been forming in her body and traveling through an undiagnosed hole in her heart – something she had unknowingly lived with since birth.
Tami spent several days in the ICU in a coma, where doctors placed her on blood thinners and removed the clots to lower her blood pressure. Once stable, she learned she would need a procedure to close the hole in her heart to help prevent future strokes. Bronson Advanced Cardiac Healthcare cardiologist Dr. Christopher Rogers and cardiovascular program coordinator Amy Cook reassured her that it was a straightforward fix. Their confidence and kindheartedness put her at ease.
Recovery from the stroke took time, but it was the first step to getting healthy again. Tami went through physical, cognitive and speech therapy to regain strength and balance. She started with a walker, then transitioned to a cane. After six weeks, she was able to return to work.
On December 10, Tami had an outpatient procedure to implant a small device in her heart, sealing the hole. After the procedure, Tami immediately noticed changes. She had always lived with a high heart rate, around 90-100 beats per minute. After the device was implanted, it dropped to 75, and she no longer experienced shortness of breath!
Getting back to riding Belle was an important milestone. Before surgery, Tami’s high heart rate had made her horse uneasy. But after she recovered, she noticed Belle was calmer around her, and riding felt more natural again – to both of them.
Today, Tami continues to do well. Her follow-up scans are clear, and she now only sees her cardiologist once a year. She also meets with her neurologist, Julie Harning, PA-C, every six months to monitor her progress and help Tami understand how the brain heals after a stroke.
While the entire experience was unexpected and challenging, Tami is grateful for the care she received and the support that helped her recover. With her health back on track, she’s focused on moving forward and enjoying the things she loves.
