VAD CAD Club

Dr.Shawn Jennings

I am a 48 y.o. male family physician. I have suffered a dissection of my left vertebral artery. It infarcted the pons of my brainstem and some of my cerebellum. It happened May 13, 1999.

It has left me in a power chair with partial use of my left arm and almost no use of my right. I can walk with a walker for exercise with my wife holding onto my right hand. My walking is not functional as I cannot stand or sit independently. I can finally eat but have to be careful with clear fluids. I can talk in a low voice after years of practice. We call my language 'Drunkenese' because it does sound like I've had a few too many.

Here is my story: Two weeks before my stroke I was driving between hospitals when a truck suddenly pulled out in front of me. I was in my Ford F-150 and slammed on my brakes. Somehow I missed her and she proceeded on as though nothing had just transpired.

I felt no symptoms until that noon when my neck started to ache. The pain spread up above my left ear. I assumed it was a whiplash injury, took a few Advil and finished my day.

Over the proceeding week I treated myself as though I had a whiplash. About a week after this mishap, I went out for my first golf game of the year. I had learned over the years that the people who had the best results from whiplash were those people who didn't 'baby' their injury.

The first hole I did well, I hit two perfect shots to the hole. I felt fine other then the soreness in my neck. I two putted for a par but as I headed off the green, I felt funny. I started to feel dizzy, nauseated, weak in the knees. Somehow I hit a good tee shot and proceeded to my ball, feeling dizzy and off balance. How I hit the next shot, I'm not sure but I did and even onto the green. I two putted and walked to the third hole. By the time I got there I could hardly stand. I finally told my golf partner that something was wrong and I had to quit.

We arranged a ride for me back to the clubhouse and then went to the Emergency Dept. At the Emergency Dept. they diagnosed me as having a vertigo secondary to an ear problem. I didn't think so; I wanted a CT scan, but I was a patient now, not a doctor, so I kept my opinions to myself. Over the following days I felt unsteady but kept up my normal routine. One day while making rounds in the hospital, I approached a neurologist friend of mine and told him my story. He examined me quickly in his office and agreed I needed a CT scan.

He or I didn't know how necessary or urgent it would be, for three days later I had my brainstem stroke.

I had just finished rounds that day, was in my office parking lot, turned my head to backup, when bang it hit as I turned my head. I was able to call my wife on the cellular before I lapsed into a coma.

Bad luck plagued me at the Emergency Dept. : When they took the first CT scan I was having sonorous respirations and the CT scan was fuzzy but at least they saw no signs of gross stroke or bleed.

They now wasted valuable time - hours - waiting for a change in my clinical condition. When they realized my coma was deepening hours later, I was intubated and sent for a second CT. That showed the dissection in my left vertebral artery with thrombosis of my basilar artery.

An arteriogram was arranged and TPA administered. They opened up my artery 25% before the artery started to bleed and they had to suspend the procedure. To maintain that opening I was given Heparin.

I woke up Locked In later that night. I stayed Locked In for about four months. I only moved my eyelids. I was in a rehabilitative centre for nearly a year.

It is now three years since my stroke. I have functional use of my left hand. My right hand is opening and I can hold some things. I am in a power chair. I took my first step after two years. I now walk with a walker but I'm not independent with it. My right hand needs to be supported on the handle; I need assistance to stand and sit. But even these things are improving. Slow but I have a goal of being independent with my walking. It may take years but I will do it!

Hope is our most important asset.

Yours Truly
Shawn Jennings MD


VAD Club - Members Page

Andrea	Anneke Howie	Becky Scano	David Macdonald	Gay Alford

Janet Leblond	Karen Marshall	Kristi O'Donnell	Lisa	Mike Tallinger

Pradeep Pushpavanam	Ralph Stalnecker	Richard Lau	Shawn Jennings	Smita Kana

Dr.Shawn Jennings I am a 48 y.o. male family physician. I have suffered a dissection of my left vertebral artery. It infarcted the pons of my brainstem and some of my cerebellum. It happened May 13, 1999. It has left me in a power chair with partial use of my left arm and almost no use of my right. I can walk with a walker for exercise with my wife holding onto my right hand. My walking is not functional as I cannot stand or sit independently. I can finally eat but have to be careful with clear fluids. I can talk in a low voice after years of practice. We call my language 'Drunkenese' because it does sound like I've had a few too many. Here is my story: Two weeks before my stroke I was driving between hospitals when a truck suddenly pulled out in front of me. I was in my Ford F-150 and slammed on my brakes. Somehow I missed her and she proceeded on as though nothing had just transpired. I felt no symptoms until that noon when my neck started to ache. The pain spread up above my left ear. I assumed it was a whiplash injury, took a few Advil and finished my day. Over the proceeding week I treated myself as though I had a whiplash. About a week after this mishap, I went out for my first golf game of the year. I had learned over the years that the people who had the best results from whiplash were those people who didn't 'baby' their injury. The first hole I did well, I hit two perfect shots to the hole. I felt fine other then the soreness in my neck. I two putted for a par but as I headed off the green, I felt funny. I started to feel dizzy, nauseated, weak in the knees. Somehow I hit a good tee shot and proceeded to my ball, feeling dizzy and off balance. How I hit the next shot, I'm not sure but I did and even onto the green. I two putted and walked to the third hole. By the time I got there I could hardly stand. I finally told my golf partner that something was wrong and I had to quit. We arranged a ride for me back to the clubhouse and then went to the Emergency Dept. At the Emergency Dept. they diagnosed me as having a vertigo secondary to an ear problem. I didn't think so; I wanted a CT scan, but I was a patient now, not a doctor, so I kept my opinions to myself. Over the following days I felt unsteady but kept up my normal routine. One day while making rounds in the hospital, I approached a neurologist friend of mine and told him my story. He examined me quickly in his office and agreed I needed a CT scan. He or I didn't know how necessary or urgent it would be, for three days later I had my brainstem stroke. I had just finished rounds that day, was in my office parking lot, turned my head to backup, when bang it hit as I turned my head. I was able to call my wife on the cellular before I lapsed into a coma. Bad luck plagued me at the Emergency Dept. : When they took the first CT scan I was having sonorous respirations and the CT scan was fuzzy but at least they saw no signs of gross stroke or bleed. They now wasted valuable time - hours - waiting for a change in my clinical condition. When they realized my coma was deepening hours later, I was intubated and sent for a second CT. That showed the dissection in my left vertebral artery with thrombosis of my basilar artery. An arteriogram was arranged and TPA administered. They opened up my artery 25% before the artery started to bleed and they had to suspend the procedure. To maintain that opening I was given Heparin. I woke up Locked In later that night. I stayed Locked In for about four months. I only moved my eyelids. I was in a rehabilitative centre for nearly a year. It is now three years since my stroke. I have functional use of my left hand. My right hand is opening and I can hold some things. I am in a power chair. I took my first step after two years. I now walk with a walker but I'm not independent with it. My right hand needs to be supported on the handle; I need assistance to stand and sit. But even these things are improving. Slow but I have a goal of being independent with my walking. It may take years but I will do it! Hope is our most important asset. Yours Truly Shawn Jennings MD