It was an average October day for Denise Brouillette. She was feeling a little odd, but had no reason to be alarmed. However, as the hours passed, Denise gradually began realizing she couldn’t remember how to perform mundane tasks, such as using her cellphone. When her partner Harry arrived home, she explained her symptoms.
Fortunately, Harry knew he had to act that instant and rushed Denise to a local hospital in Iron Mountain, Michigan, where a doctor recognized the severity of the situation. He urgently arranged to get Denise in an ambulance to Aurora BayCare.
Aurora BayCare is the first and only certified Comprehensive Stroke Center in Northeast Wisconsin, offering advanced stroke care, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Ready at all times, Aurora BayCare has the region’s largest neurointervention team and a dedicated unit for stroke patients.
The best option
Once Denise made it to Aurora BayCare, it was discovered she suffered an ischemic stroke. As she was preparing for release from Aurora BayCare, Denise began to twitch and slumped over in bed, causing bystanders to shout for help. The code team was activated and Denise was immediately taken for a CT scan which showed bleeding in her brain. The blood in her brain had built up a great amount of pressure, causing her brain to shift to one side of her skull.
Due to the size of the bleed and location, a less-invasive procedure was ruled out. Dr. Gerald Eckardt, neurosurgeon at Aurora BayCare, determined an emergency left-sided craniotomy was Denise’s best option for recovery.
A craniotomy may be required to treat brain tumors, certain aneurysms, brain swelling, or infections.
Denise’s craniotomy required removing a piece of the left side of her skull to gain access to the pocket of blood causing issues. Blood was evacuated from the site with suction, and the bleeding was stopped with cautery. Dr. Eckardt then pieced her skull together again with surgical screws.
Denise spent several weeks in the hospital after her procedure to allow her brain time to recover. She worked with her team of doctors along with Speech, Physical and Occupational therapy to regain function of her right side. She was discharged to an inpatient rehab unit for further therapies and then home with her family.
On the road to recovery
Denise goes to speech therapy to aid in improving her functioning abilities. “I can write things now. I go to occupational therapy three times a week, too. One of my hands is much weaker, but it is improving.,” says Denise. “My sister calls me every day, and we talk for one hour, so I can practice. I’ve also been re-learning math.”
She is driven to get back to life before the stroke and craniotomy. “I’m making progress, but it’s not back to normal,” Denise says. “It’s like struggling all the time, but you can’t let that slow you down. When I think about the progress I’ve made, I feel pretty good about it.”
Denise sees Dr. Eckardt once every three months. She is adamant that she is beyond thankful that her doctor in Iron Mountain was so quick to transfer her to Aurora BayCare, and especially to Dr. Eckardt.
“I’m very pleased with the whole place [Aurora BayCare],” says Denise. “All the doctors were wonderful, and Dr. Eckardt even has a good sense of humor.