52-year-old Joe Wise prided himself on exercising and staying in shape. But an aortic aneurysm in October 2007 sent him on an unexpected journey from brink of death through an amazing recovery.
“I was looking out the kitchen window. My arms instantly went dead and my knees buckled,” Joe recalled. “I said, ‘Call an ambulance’ – and the next thing I remember is waking up days later in the ICU.”
Joe’s condition was critical. An aneurysm in his aorta burst, and he suffered a stroke as well. Joe underwent emergency surgery to repair the aorta and replace a damaged heart valve. He remained in a drug-induced coma for eight days. Joe said, “The Heart Center nurses called me their ‘little miracle baby.’”
From Aultman Hospital, Joe transitioned to Aultman Woodlawn for rehabilitation. “The physical and occupational therapists worked on my balance, and I learned to walk all over again,” Joe shared. “I recovered 10 times faster than the therapists anticipated. In six days, I went from barely being able to walk two doors down from my room to walking just about anywhere.”
Joe is currently participating in the cardiac rehabilitation program at Aultman North. “The therapists keep a leash on me,” Joe joked. “They have to remind me that I can’t do too much too soon.”
The stroke did not leave permanent damage, and Joe remains thankful for the use of his entire body. “From the doctors and nurses to the therapists, the Aultman staff has been great,” Joe said. “Everyone was in the right place at the right time to help me recover.” |