Teen Recovers From Stroke

TEEN RECOVERS AFTER STROKE

Reegan Lueken is back to riding her bike after recovering from a stroke last spring.

To say Reegan Lueken’s first track practice did not go as planned is an understatement. The now 13-year-old Prairie Middle School student collapsed about 20 minutes into practice. “I felt light-headed,” recalled Reegan. “I just laid down on the ground and couldn’t get back up. I thought I was going to pass out. I didn’t really notice I couldn’t move the left side of my body. My dad, came and picked me up and we went to the hospital.” “I initially thought she might be dehydrated,” Ben Lueken, Reegan’s dad explained. “But when I arrived at the school, Reegan couldn’t sit up. Right away, I knew it wasn’t dehydration. I immediately picked her up, put her in the car and drove to St. Luke’s ER. Everyone at the hospital said it looks like she is having a stroke, which is nuts, which is crazy. Kids don’t have strokes, but she had all the classic symptoms of a stroke. The doctors told me, ‘we are going to do a scan and see.’ And I was just shocked. Strokes are for old people, not a 12-year-old.” “Strokes don’t discriminate,” said Brian Shedek, DO, St. Luke’s Emergency Room physician. “Anyone of any age, race, ethnicity and gender can be at risk. Reegan was so brave and positive, and her father remained so calm, which made it easy to explain what was going on and receive consent for treatment.”

‘Time is Brain’

At St. Luke’s, Reegan received a medicine called tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) to break up the blood clot, which was causing the stroke and reducing blood flow to the brain.

“In the ER we say, ‘time is brain,’” shared Dr. Shedek. “This means when dealing with critical stroke patients the success of their outcome is often how quickly they are treated with tPA and other procedures, which are time-dependent. With each passing minute, a stroke progresses, and functional outcomes worsen. Teamwork was key in a successful outcome for Reegan. Our pharmacists, neurologists, radiologists, nurses, radiology technicians and ER providers all did an amazing job of working together to diagnose Reegan’s problem quickly, determine tPA dosing and arrange rapid transport via LifeGuard Air Ambulance to a higher level of care to remove Reegan’s blood clot.” “I appreciated the doctors,” Maria Lueken, Reegan’s mom shared. “They talked to us about tPA and did a good job of explaining what it is and how it’s not commonly used in children but told us they thought it was her best chance. They did a nice job of staying calm and explaining things along the way.”

Maria, Reegan, Ben and Rylee Lueken outside of their Ely home.

Maximizing Recovery

Ten days after her stroke and treatment, Reegan was ready to begin her recovery. She returned to St. Luke’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation unit.

“When she arrived at St. Luke’s, Reegan could not move her left arm and hand,” shared Laura Decker, St. Luke’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation senior physical therapist. “She had no active movement in her left ankle and her left knee and hip were very weak. She had impaired balance and when she walked, she would drag her left foot and snap her knee back because of the leg weakness. We provided her with 50 percent help to walk 100 feet and despite her small size we needed two therapists to help her to go up and down four steps and a curb. Reegan also needed assistance with dressing and getting in and out of bed.”

“It’s pretty uncommon for a child of that age to have a stroke,” shared Nick Appleby, DO, St. Luke’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician. “I would put Reegan’s stroke in the moderate to severe category. However, she was able to communicate well, which isn’t often the case when individuals have a stroke. She was doing well cognitively so we were able to focus on the physical side of things. We have an excellent team of therapists who work with all ages, including children. Our team is very collaborative and meet once a week to discuss patient goals and plan how to get each person back home and maximize their recovery.” Reegan spent 36 days at St. Luke’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. She went home last May and was able to attend the last couple of weeks of school for part of the day. St. Luke’s therapists worked with Reegan’s school to make the transition smooth and safe.

Looking Ahead

“It’s been a night and day difference for Reegan,” Ben explained. “She went from barely moving to now riding her bike. It’s phenomenal. The work she did at St. Luke’s with the therapists and us at home helped her accomplish so much. There were many things we took for granted before, like getting dressed. Reegan has regained her independence.” “I’d love to get back to diving or doing sports again,” Reegan said. “I am continuing my therapy two times a week at St. Luke’s.”

“There hasn’t been a day since I treated her in the ER that I haven’t thought about her, wished her well and prayed for her,” shared Dr. Shedek. “It’s uplifting to hear she’s doing so well.”

“The team at St. Luke’s helped save her life,” said Maria. “The speed at which they diagnosed Reegan – it was a great balance of speed but also being meticulous and making sure they were taking the right steps. They also gave her a warm welcome upon return. Everyone was great.” Call 911 or go to St. Luke’s ER immediately if someone is showing signs of stroke.

Stroke warning signs

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause Source: American Stroke Association