Alonzo Valdez
56-year-old man survives stroke and now advocates for community education.
Alonzo (Lonnie) Valdez calls himself a medical miracle. The 56-year-old vividly remembers the day he woke in the early hours of the morning feeling groggy and dizzy. Although he knew something was not quite right, he laid back down and tried to get more sleep. Shortly after, Lonnie woke to start his day; as he was getting ready to shower, he fell to one knee, instantly recognizing something terrible was happening. Managing to get himself up and seated, he realized he was not able to speak and all that he could vocalize were mumbles. He managed to access his phone to call for help.
“I desperately tried calling my wife for help, but it was like my brain wouldn’t allow my fingers to press the buttons on my phone,” Lonnie said. “I thought to myself, ‘oh my gosh, something is wrong.”
Fortunately, Lonnie’s wife, Norma, was still home before leaving for work. Lonnie eventually was able to call her and put her on speakerphone. Though she could only make out the mumbles of Lonnie’s hysterical attempt to speak, she ran upstairs and instantly knew her husband was suffering a stroke. Having witnessed her father experience a stroke, Norma was able to identify the similarities in Lonnie and sought medical attention immediately.
“I was very cognizant of what was happening. The paramedics arrived and it felt like minutes before I was at Methodist Hospital and met by Dr. Wilson, the super doctor,” Lonnie said.
Upon arrival at the Methodist Hospital emergency room, Lonnie presented with right-sided weakness and an inability to speak. He was urgently taken back for a CT scan which revealed a blood clot and narrowing in his middle cerebral artery.
“I remember everything moving so quickly. As I was administered medication before my procedure, I turned to my wife and couldn’t say anything other than I love you.”
Lonnie was triaged quickly and taken to the angiogram suite to restore blood to the brain as quickly as possible. The clot was pulled out from the blood vessel using a small basket, and Dr. Jason Wilson, neurosurgeon and the team performed a balloon angioplasty to open the narrowing and placed a small stent to keep the blood vessel open.
It is not uncommon for someone to be confused and have memory loss after a stroke. After Lonnie woke post-surgery, his care team asked him several questions to measure his cognitive ability and memory. He was able to answer clearly. The room burst into cheering and clapping, knowing the procedure was a success and that Lonnie had not suffered any major side effects from his stroke.
Dr. Wilson says Lonnie’s outcome can definitely be attributed to his wife’s recognition of symptoms and getting him to the hospital immediately. “Mr. Valdez is a great example of the quality stroke care he received at Methodist. His outcome reflects all of the hard work the nurses and staff put into improving our stroke program.”
Lonnie passionately expressed his appreciation for the care he received in saving his life. “I’m super blessed to be sharing my story today.”
Every 40 seconds someone in the nation suffers a stroke. The results can be devastating, and time is of the essence for improved outcomes. Know the signs and act in time. If you believe someone is having a stroke — if they lose the ability to speak or move an arm or leg on one side, or experience facial paralysis on one side — call 911 immediately. A stroke is a medical emergency. Immediate treatment may save someone's life and enhance his or her chances for successful rehabilitation and recovery.