Ike’s Story

A Remarkable Recovery from a Brain Aneurysm, Stroke, and Surgery

One Saturday morning, Ike woke up feeling off—he felt dizzy and nauseous—just not himself.

He pushed through for a few days, hoping it would pass. But by Monday night, when he pulled into his driveway, something was seriously wrong.

He felt disoriented, and for a few moments, he even felt unsure of how to enter his own home. Exhausted and confused, he went straight to bed, still thinking it would pass.

The next morning, as he left for work, the signs became even clearer—he absentmindedly climbed into the back seat of his car instead of the driver’s seat. However, while he believed his behavior to be increasingly strange, he still worked a full day and still planned to coach his son’s football team that evening. Before heading out to practice, he lay down for a quick rest, hoping to shake whatever was going on. When that didn’t help, he decided to take a shower—and that’s when he lost control of the left side of his body.

He tried calling for his wife, but she couldn’t hear him. Determined, he bear-crawled with his right arm to unlock the bedroom door. Still, even in the midst of a medical crisis, Ike refused to let his wife call 911—his kids had friends over, and he didn’t want to make a scene. Instead, they rushed to Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin by car.

It was the height of the COVID pandemic and the ICU was at full capacity. Doctors ran tests, unsure if Ike had a brain tumor or something else. With no ICU rooms available, he spent three days in the emergency department, where he met an incredible team of doctors who eventually determined the cause of his symptoms: a brain aneurysm had triggered a stroke.

The immediate danger was over, but Ike wasn’t in the clear. He was sent home for two weeks to rest before undergoing brain surgery at Dell Seton Medical Center. Those two weeks were filled with uncertainty and friends urged him to seek specialists outside of Austin.

However, as a fourth-generation Austinite, Ike believed in the care available here.

Ike’s neurosurgeon, Dr. Ortega Barnett, was “beyond awesome,” as was Dr. Rose, who was days away from retirement, but came into the OR to ensure everything went smoothly. The surgery was a success, but the road to recovery was daunting. Ike had prepared himself for a month-long hospital stay—instead, by Monday morning, just days after his operation, doctors were preparing to send him home.

Initially hesitant, Ike took a moment to process the unexpected news. He was on a walker and knew recovery wouldn’t be easy.

He was determined, though and would do whatever it took to recover, regain this strength, and ability.

“Whatever they gave me to do, I did 10 times over,” he said. He refused to let the stroke define him. Doctors and physical therapists warned him that, based on his condition, he should expect to be on a walker indefinitely—at best. But just a month later, he was back on his feet, and recently, he ran three miles. His relentless dedication to recovery made the impossible possible.

Though he still experiences some challenges—numbness in his left leg, difficulty sensing his foot’s position—he’s living life on his terms. He keeps up with his three teenage boys, works out, and continues to push himself. He remains on anti-seizure medication, which he’ll likely be on for life, but it’s a small price to pay for everything he’s regained.

Through it all, Ike never lost sight of the exceptional care he received.

“As far as the care I got, it was top notch. I feel very, very fortunate,” he says.

He credits “the unsung heroes—the nurses” along with his surgical team and therapists for making his recovery possible.