Timing is everything
As Alaska’s first full-time alpine ski coach, Eberhard Brunner knows about racing against the clock. As an internationally celebrated wildlife photographer, he also knows the value of being focused on the right thing in the right place at the right time. But Eberhard’s recent experience at Alaska Regional Hospital took the importance of speed, focus and being in the right place to a new, life-saving level.
It started at his daughter and son-in-law’s house. Eberhard said he didn’t feel the best that day but couldn’t put his finger on what was off kilter. Then, while walking from the kitchen to the living room, his body unexpectedly collapsed.
“I wasn’t unconscious,” Eberhard said. “People talked to me and said my name, but I couldn’t answer. I could only look up at them.”
The right people, the right place: Getting to Alaska Regional Hospital
During the surreal and scary moment, prepared people surrounded Eberhard, including his son-in-law’s mother, a retired nurse, and a family friend and female physician. They helped Eberhard get to the medical experts at Alaska Regional Hospital — and fast!
“It’s almost unbelievable that I was with a doctor and a nurse when it happened. I feel lucky that they were right there and knew what to do,” Eberhard said. “They knew there was no sense to call a doctor but to instead call an ambulance. The most important thing [in a medical emergency] is to begin treatment as soon as possible. Thankfully, the ambulance came quickly. I think they broke every speed record!”
Time is brain: Why every minute matters
Eberhard suffered from an ischemic stroke, meaning a clot in a blood vessel blocked part of the blood supply to his brain. During a stroke, 2 million brain cells die per minute, and each hour without treatment, the brain ages 3.6 years.
When the ambulance arrived at Alaska Regional Hospital with Eberhard, the equipped and organized emergency team sprang into action with masterful speed and efficiency.
“The doctors and nurses at the hospital were waiting for me. I could hear them talking, but my brain wouldn’t let me understand what they said; I just knew it was something about a medication,” Eberhard said.
To bust open the barricading clot and restore blood flow to Eberhard’s brain, the emergency team administered a dose of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). The quicker this FDA-approved medication enters a stroke victim’s veins, the better the patient’s chances of survival and the fewer complications he/she must endure.
“From my house to the hospital medication, it took not much more than 30 or 40 minutes,” Eberhard said. “They were terrific!”
Always in focus: Personalized patient care
The morning after having the stroke, Eberhard woke with the returned ability to talk. His thought process also came back into focus. After two more days of compassionate care at Alaska Regional Hospital, he was ready to return home. Upon discharge, Eberhard said he felt a little weak from the experience but grateful to have zero physical or mental side effects.
“Because of the speedy treatment, I recovered fast. The doctors and nurses provided professional, high-quality care. I remember that on the evening of the stroke they asked me if I knew which hospital I was in. I didn’t know — but I’m pleased it was Alaska Regional Hospital. I think the smaller size of the hospital allows for more personal attention,” Eberhard said.