Nathan Tyler was chosen to be our February Stroke Hero. Unfortunately, due to illnesses within the Brendon’s Smile Staff we were unable to post our Monthly Stroke Hero.
Please meet Nathan Tyler, our 2010 March Stroke Hero!
Sheila Tyler’s son Nathan Lisenbee was born in November of 1989. At the age of 8, Nathan began having -horrible headaches that would wake him in the middle of the night. Several weeks before the stroke incident, Sheila took Nathan to his pediatrician who diagnosed the headaches as migraines. This sounded logical since migraines run in Sheila’s family.
In the summer of 1998 Nathan SURVIVED his stroke at the age of 8.
The night prior to the stroke Nathan began complaining of feeling weak in his left arm and leg. Being 8 years old, Sheila didn’t sense any warning signals and, to be honest the thought of a stroke never crossed her mind. She told Nathan to go ahead and go to bed; he might be tired was experiencing another migraine.
Sheila kept an eye on Nathan throughout the night; everything seemed ok. The next morning Nathan and his brother Michael were cleaning up their room - Michael came to Sheila and said Nathan was complaining again that he was weak. As an 8 yr old child, Nathan couldn't explain it any better then that.
After the boys had finished their chores. Nathan and Michael came and sat at the kitchen’s bar so they could have breakfast, While eating his breakfast, Nathan suddenly fell off the stool and couldn't get up , Sheila thought he might be playing around; she told Nathan to “come on son, getup and finish your breakfast”. Nathan told Sheila that he was unable to move. When Nathan spoke Sheila knew something was horribly wrong with him. He was slurring his speech and drooling; the left side of his face was drooping.
Sheila and her husband drove Nathan to the hospital; because they live in the country they knew they could get him there faster then calling the ambulance. By the time they had arrived at the hospital Nathan’s symptoms had dissipated. The emergency room staff saw him at once, but they kept saying nothing was wrong with Nathan.
Sheila describes herself as a very quite, polite person unless someone messes with her children. In her words “I totally lost it calling them incompetent idiots”. She informed the hospital staff that she and her husband weren't leaving until it was determined what was wrong with their son. Nathan received a CT scan that determined he had SURVIVED a stroke. Sheila and her husband were informed that Nathan was being sent to the Dallas Children’s Hospital. There he received a full battery of tests over a two-week period, including (but not limited to) Arteriogram, MRI and CT scans. The only information the doctors were able to provide was that Nathan’s artery under his right eye had torn and they didn't know why.
Sheila said she has never felt so helpless in all of her life. Nathan was placed on Coumadin (blood thinner) that required blood be taken every hour for two weeks. As a result, Nathan’s arms were all bruised and he would scream so much it took at minimum 4 nurses to hold him down for each blood drawing. Sheila had to leave the room although she cried with him. The hospital staff finally got Nathan’s blood level where they wanted and he was sent home.
Nathan was required to stay on blood thinners for over two years. He wasn't allowed to participate in sports or any strenuous physical activity due to the medications. Nathan had monthly visits to the neurologist and weekly visits to have blood drawn. He had two subsequent hospital visits for follow-up Arteriograms to check on the recovery progress of the damaged artery. They also took the opportunity to screen for other problems. Arteriograms were a challenge trying to keep a hyper active boy lying flat for hours afterwards.
The only real problems that remained were some weakness on Nathan’s left side and some learning disabilities. Today, he's now 19 and lives on his own. He has a great job and a beautiful daughter Caunrey Lisenbee (Allie) who is 17 months old. Nathan has had a tough road but has made it through and Sheila is very proud of him.
Nathan is yet another example of how the stroke phenomena affects all ages. He also serves proof that children possess unfathomable strength and fortitude, that in conjunction with the love and support of family and friends can SURVIVE Childhood Stroke and overcome any obstacle.
For these and so many more reasons, Nathan is our March 2010 Stroke Hero of the Month!
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