Local martial artist back to normal after stroke
Fetching Featured May 31, 2020
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Greg and Jeri Mansur were away for a little bit of a staycation when a stroke struck.
Greg was out buying some medicine for Jeri’s headache. They exchanged a few texts. But, when he returned to the hotel, he found Jeri, her face against the ground. “He came back, and he saw me on the floor,” Jeri, now 63, said.
She couldn’t stand. She couldn’t give her husband any answers. She wasn’t sure how she ended up on the floor and couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t able to get up. Greg knew something was wrong.
In the 11 minutes between the last text Greg exchanged with his wife and the time he called 911, Greg realized Jeri had suffered a stroke. He was able to tell the operator on the phone, and Jeri was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) in Gainesville, the area’s designated primary stroke center, for rapid treatment. The staff at NGMC were prepared for Jeri’s arrival and able to administer alteplase, a blood clot-busting drug. When a stroke occurs, time is everything.
“Her arm, her whole left side, was gone,” Greg said. “She had no movement, no feeling, no strength, no anything. She was looking the wrong way when I called her, and I said, ‘Baby, something’s wrong.’ So, I called 911 right away.”
Jeri is an otherwise healthy person. She’s likely healthier than most her age – or even younger. She’s a martial artist with a third-degree black belt and a personal trainer. Greg said she’s worked out at least five days a week, every week, since her 20s. She doesn’t have a history of strokes in her family.
“I would have never thought in a million years that I’d have a stroke,” Jeri said. “I’ve been healthy all my life.”
But a stroke can affect anybody. “That’s the scary thing about strokes,” said Holley Adams, stroke coordinator at NGMC Gainesville. “They can happen to anyone at any time. And, when a stroke does occur, it’s important to get help fast — like Greg was able to do for Jeri.”
When Jeri suffered her stroke in July 2019, she was rushed to NGMC. The quick assessment she received there helped save Jeri from any long-term deficits she may have faced.
“It’s important to always seek care immediately if you’re experiencing symptoms of a stroke, even during this COVID-19 pandemic,” Adams said. “The main thing we want everyone to do is call 911, no matter what. When you arrive at NGMC, we’re prepared to evaluate you quickly and administer alteplase if you’re eligible. And, if we need to send you somewhere else for further treatment, we’re prepared to do that, too.”
Before Greg was able to get to NGMC to be with his wife, nurses at the areas designated primary stroke center had a plan in place.
“By the time I got there, they had already figured out that Jeri had a clot in her brain, and she needed to get down to (Grady Memorial Hospital),” Greg said. “Their speediness in addressing the issue was certainly very good.”
Jeri was flown to Grady in Atlanta for surgery, and she is now almost fully recovered.
“I don’t have any paralysis,” Jeri said. “But what I’ve learned since the stroke is that time is of the essence.”
May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and this is Jeri’s first year observing as a stroke survivor. She didn’t know much about strokes around this time last year, but now she does.
“You could say he’s my hero,” Jeri said of her husband. “Because of the way he acted so quickly in getting me help, whenever I’m in a situation where somebody might be having a stroke, I’ll do my very best to do what he did for me — get help as quick as possible. I’m very thankful.”
For more information about stroke care and to learn how one of NGMC’s designated stroke centers in Barrow, Braselton or Gainesville can help, visit nghs.com/stroke-care.
ABOUT NORTHEAST GEORGIA MEDICAL CENTER
Since 1951, Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) has been on a mission of improving the health of our community in all we do. With hospitals located in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder and Dahlonega, the four NGMC campuses have a total of more than 700 beds and more than 1,100 medical staff members representing more than 50 specialties. NGMC is part of Northeast Georgia Health System, a non-profit that cares for more than 1 million people across more than 18 counties. Learn more at www.nghs.com.
Fetching Features: Self-isolation: filling unplanned time on your hands (Round 2)
Fetching Featured April 19, 2020
(With extensions to the self-isolation and shelter-in-place orders for citizens, Sunday Edition is doing a second round of self isolation activities from a separate author. ENJOY!)
Self-isolation and social distancing are an introverts dream. The government has ordered me to stay away from people. Although, the reasons for this makes me sad, I must admit, I’m very comfortable alone and at home.
My husband and my kids, on the other hand, are extroverts and socializers to the max. They are in sheer agony and fear death by boredom. Our house can’t be the only one divided on this issue. Fear not, there are plenty of things to occupy your hands and brains during this time.
1. Write a book.
I’ve done this, three times, actually, and the phrase I hear over and over is “I’d love to write a book, but I just don’t have time.” Well, Karen, you now have time. The best writing advice I ever heard was that words were like rabbits, put a couple on a page and before you know it, you’ll have hundreds. While I could guide you on what worked for me, just check out National Novel Writing Month, which is technically November (although April is poetry writing month), but in this day of self-isolation and social distancing, it’s okay. We won’t tell.
2. Backyard camping
Spring is upon us. The weather is nice and what better way to do a test run on your camping gear than to pitch a tent in the backyard? Build a fire (check for a burn ban, it’s been really dry this year…), make s’mores, tell creepy ghost stories before snuggling into your sleeping bags for the night. Listen to the different animal sounds, cicadas, frogs, birds, hopefully no bears or Sasquatches.
3. Learn something
Pick that thing you want to learn and learn it. For me, it’s voice recording and editing, like for podcasts–not singing. Me singing is a felony. Assault with a deadly weapon to be exact. But, yeah, voice editing, video editing, a foreign language. Needless to say, everything is on Youtube, so you should be rock’n’rolling pretty quickly. When you are done, make your own podcast or film your own show, like a cooking show or cleaning show (killing two birds with one stone).
4. Martial arts
Many dojos (martial arts schools) have fully jumped into video classes since COVID-19. Several are offering free videos. Check them out and get your ninja on. Just remember, you aren’t going to achieve Chuck Norris capabilities, but it will get your body moving. Martial arts covers all aspects of getting in shape: stretching, strength, and endurance. Who knows – maybe after the quarantine, you’ll want to continue training.
5. Clean something
That closet you keep putting off-get to it. Pantry? Gutters? That one table? Now is the time. Put in some good music, set out three boxes labeled: give away, throw away, and put away. Here’s a hint, more should go in your give away and throw away boxes. My rule of thumb, if I didn’t wear it last season, it has to go, even if I love it. If it doesn’t fit, it goes. This is probably why my hubs has more shoes and clothes than I do. Purses are another matter, though.
6. Spa-at-home
Self-isolation can just be a fancy name for self-pampering. A quick internet
search can give you hundreds of easy scrubs and masks using ingredients you probably have on hand. My favorite is a brown sugar scrub. Mix brown sugar, coconut oil and some vanilla extract and viola! You can exfoliate and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time. You can also use this on your hands, or all over. For more ideas, visit Perry’s Plate here.
7. Write letters
Self-isolation gives us a chance to go postal, in the most fun sense. This is a great way to bring joy to someone else because we all love getting mail that isn’t a bill. Don’t worry if you don’t have a lot to say-whoever you are writing will just be thrilled. Besides, you can always use smaller size paper. You can also decorate the envelope. One of my closest friends in college would send me beautifully and whimsically decorated envelopes and letter while I was in basic training and it brought such amazing joy. For some neat ides, check out zentangle art here.
8. Research a region
Find something to get the entire family involved in. Self-isolation can send you into another country. Select a country, or culture and divide up different parts to assign to everyone. One can research the geographical features, one can cook a dish, one can explore the art and history. Do one, do several– maybe the Gullah culture, Creole, or even something like Revolutionary Era New England.
9. Tackle a big project with your family
My hubs and I have had a plan for years — to make a headboard for our bed. In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need a pandemic to make this happen, yet, here we are. Get that special person in your life, who lives with you since we are, well, quarantined, and do something big. For us, we’re converting an old box spring made from wood. Maybe you want to build a bookshelf, or something else. Find interesting things to recycle. Use old tires to plant in. Paint that room you’ve been wanting to paint.
10. Explore your yard
Big or small, you can find something new and interesting in your little bit of the outdoors. Find a bare spot and make a plan for it–either paint the fence, plant some flowers, or an herb garden. Add some yard art. Or, simply tidy the area.
The main thing is, we’ve been dealt an unexpected break from real life and while most of the news is bad, we have the chance to create family bonds, memories, and make changes we’ve been wanting to make but simply haven’t had time. Enjoy, stay well, and may your blessings be more numerous than the stars.