People of Ellendale: Kathy Howard — Stroke Survivor and Stroke Awareness Advocate
One Step at a Time
Kathy Howard is a proud, lifelong resident of St. Louis City. Born in the Central West End, Kathy spent her baby years in the Grove area and otherwise was raised in Dutchtown. Most recently — the past 36 years to be precise — Kathy has been a resident of the Ellendale neighborhood.
But it is the last eight years that have been the most special to Kathy. In 2008, on her 31st wedding anniversary, Kathy had a life-altering and terrifying event befall her.
“I was pushing 289 lbs., I had a very stressful job, and our two children were in college,” explains Kathy. “And I can now own up that I was indeed a couch potato!”
Typically, after an exhausting day of work, Kathy would pick up an easy (and of course, non-nourishing) meal for her and her husband and then, after dinner, it was what she calls “couch time.”
On this particular night, Kathy began to feel a little off. Her husband, Jim, volunteered to finish cleaning-up after dinner and she went to sit on the couch. “Within moments it felt as if a zipper had been installed on my left side and someone had just pulled it from my toes to my head,” recalls Kathy. “And then I jumped up and looked at the TV only to see a black hole in the center of the screen.”
They decided this was just a little weird and should get it checked out. So, still able to move on her own, Kathy walked down the 18 steps in front of their home and her husband took her to the emergency room.
After many tests throughout the night (which all came back clear), it was determined Kathy may have been having a migraine. She was about to be discharged when her life was forever changed.
“I stepped off the gurney and nearly hit the ground before the nurse and my husband caught me. Absolutely nothing on the left side was working,” Kathy said. “I didn't know what the heck was happening.”
Later, after further tests, Kathy and her family were told that she had suffered a massive stroke. The doctors also inquired how long Kathy had had diabetes — something she was unaware of, herself.
Kathy's prognosis was pretty bleak at this point. She had lost the ability to walk. Her entire left side was flaccid (like jelly as she describes it). She could not see anything to the left due to “left neglect” — not blindness but rather the brain not registering what is being seen. “My core was pretty much gone and I had difficulty holding myself up,” Kathy explains. “I was pretty scared!”
Rehabilitation and Life After Stroke
Kathy spent a month in acute care at Missouri Baptist Hospital followed by weeks and weeks of out-patient therapy at The Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis. And for the next two years she and her therapist worked very hard. “I had taken something as simple (and as complicated) as walking for granted,” Kathy realized.
But all their hard work paid off in 2010, just two years after her stroke, when Kathy walked 11.8 miles from the Missouri Baptist Hospital to the Rehab Institute. The following year she walked back the other direction. You can learn more about her Warrior Walk in 2010 here: www.origin.ksdk.com/news/health/story.aspx?storyid=226030
From this point on, Kathy had a new walk and a new direction in life. She formed the ABC Brigade — a certified Missouri non-profit organization committed to stroke education, prevention, and fully living life post stroke.
“In the past, I have had wonderful, exciting jobs, but I was always still searching for that one dream job,” Kathy said. “Well, since my stroke, helping new survivors realize they are NOT DONE and forming the ABC Brigade has fulfilled my dream job search.”
Kathy and the ABC Brigade have received many accolades and awards. In 2012, Kathy won the RAISE Award from the National Stroke Association. The ABC Brigade was also nominated for a RAISE award this past year. Kathy is one of the Face of Stroke Ambassadors for the National Stroke Association and, in 2013, she received an award from the Missouri Rehabilitation Association. Kathy also volunteers at both of the hospitals involved in her recovery — Missouri Baptist Hospital and The Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis.
Kathy and her ABC Brigade give presentations all over the metro St. Louis area and is committed to yanking Missouri out of its national fourth place ranking for the occurrence of stroke.
Kathy is also proud of losing 85 lbs. and is no longer insulin-dependent.
“This has been one of the wildest rides of my life. I had great doctors and therapists. My incredible family stood by me, even when I just wanted to give up,” said Kathy. But she also thanks her many Ellendale neighbors who were there for her. “They offered to drive me to therapy, brought meals, shoveled snow, and even came to my rescue when I would “freeze” on those 18 steps in front of my house.” Kathy takes those treasured steps every day and has named them “Therapy”.
May is stroke awareness month. Kathy will be presenting stroke awareness information at the May 9th Ellendale Neighborhood Association meeting (7:00 p.m. at Abbott EMS, 2500 Abbott Place, St. Louis). She is looking forward to talking about stroke risk and prevention with her Ellendale neighbors. “I want to tell people who haven't had a stroke, don't wait until you have a stroke to make that your motivation to eat right and to move.”
The ABC Brigade and the ABC's of Stroke Prevention
A stands for A1c - This test will give you a view of what your blood glucose has been for the past several months.
B stands for Blood Pressure – Know your blood pressure numbers and what they mean
C stands for Cholesterol – Know your cholesterol numbers and what they mean
Discuss with your physician what your target numbers in these three areas should be.
Can You Spot A Stroke? — Think F.A.S.T.
F – FACE: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A – ARMS: Ask the person to raise their arms in front of them. Does one drift downwards?
S – SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase like, “The sky is blue.” Is speech slurred/strange?
T – TIME: If you spot any of these signs: It's time to call 911 immediately! Note the time of the first symptom. This information is important and can affect treatment decisions.
Visit www.abcbrigade.org for more information about Kathy's quest to spread stroke awareness. Besides stroke awareness presentations, the ABC Brigade also hosts the Stampede for Stroke — an annual 1-mile/5K event. This fall will be their 5th annual Stampede, held on World Stroke Day, October 29, 2016. The Stampede will take place at Tower Grove Park. More information about the Stampede can be found on the ABC Brigade website.
“Last year, we had nearly 700 participants and 74 stroke survivors who either walked or ran… yes, ran!“ Kathy said with pride. “I would love to see my Ellendale community represented that day along with our goal to have 100 stroke survivors present!“
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