Peter Johnson is pictured with his family.

December 19, 2022 was a typical day at the school where teacher Peter Johnson worked. As the holidays approached, teachers were wrapping up final lessons, while trying to keep students focused amid the festive buzz.

Johnson, however, had started to experience dizziness, a symptom that worried him. “At the time, the news was reporting long wait times at hospitals across the GTA, and I thought it was just dizziness,” he explained, when reflecting back on why he didn’t immediately seek medical attention.

What initially seemed like a mere bout of dizziness, was in fact, the early warning signs of a stroke in the 52-year-old. Over the following days, his condition rapidly declined, ultimately leading to his urgent transfer to St. Michael’s Hospital for treatment.

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Dr. Tom Marotta, a minimally-invasive neurointerventionalist at St. Michael’s who was part of the team that cared for Johnson, sees Johnson’s story and outcome as miraculous.

A sudden realization

Johnson experienced a restless night. He was up repeatedly, and he felt unsettled and increasingly dizzy. He turned on the light and realized he was in trouble. “I got up, took three steps, and knew something was wrong. My fingers started tingling and I asked my wife if my face was drooping,” he recalled. Concerned, they called 911 and paramedics quickly arrived at their home and transported Johnson to his local hospital. There, physicians confirmed the diagnosis of stroke, and contacted the team at St. Michael’s to arrange for urgent transfer and consideration of intervention.

Upon arrival at St. Michael’s, Johnson was assessed by Dr. Alexandra Muccilli, one of the hospital’s stroke neurologists. She confirmed the severe nature of his neurological condition and reviewed a series of tests performed on his arrival. The investigations confirmed the problem was a blood clot in the basilar artery, the main artery responsible for supplying blood to crucial areas of the brain that control consciousness and movement. With Johnson’s stroke threatening both his brain and his life, clinicians acted swiftly, performing an urgent thrombectomy to remove the clot and restore blood flow.

Johnson was awake for the duration of the procedure, and had very little discomfort. “When the clot came out it was fascinating and scary because I was having minimally invasive brain surgery. But when I felt my fingers start to move, it was a huge relief,” he recalled.

Despite the severity of Johnson’s stroke, the St. Michael’s team was able to clear out the clot and restore blood flow to the brain, and thus brain function, Marotta recalls. “There is no better feeling that seeing a patient improve in the Angio Suite right in front of your eyes,” he said.

The waterfront dream

After a stroke, it becomes a waiting game, say Marotta and Muccilli, as the outcomes and potential post-stroke sequelae are unpredictable and vary for everyone. Johnson was fortunate – he had very few.

“I was lucky because I had very few residual deficits despite the potential severe nature of my stroke. They were able to clear the clot and I was able to go back to my normal life,” he said.

Post-thrombectomy, Johnson spent five days in the intensive care unit recovering. While there he marveled at the skill and rapid response of the doctors and other multidisciplinary staff. “I had seven different nurses, and they were the most positive and dedicated people I have ever met,” he said. He felt incredibly safe and cared for during his time at St. Michael’s.

As Johnson’s final day at the hospital approached, a storm brewed outside. His greatest hope was to be home with his family in time to celebrate Christmas. 

Amazingly, his wish was granted, and he made it home safely before the storm hit.

Post-stroke recovery varies widely among individuals. Many struggle with residual neurological disability, and, like Johnson, others grapple with the profound realization of just how close they came to losing their lives. Many patients that have a stroke like Johnson’s that affect the basilar artery don’t have such positive outcomes, his medical team later told him.

“The hardest part was coming to terms with what had happened to me. It took a year of wiggling my fingers every day to see if I could before I was reassured that I was going to be okay. It was something I thought about constantly. As time passed, I’ve wanted to talk about it less and less,” Johnson said.

“Afterwards it took some time, and I thought, ‘What will I do now?’ I had a second chance and was extremely lucky.”

Johnson and his family decided to move to a waterfront house, something they have dreamt about for a very long time.

“If I could give one piece of advice, it would be to take odd neurological symptoms seriously. Call 911 immediately and get yourself checked out, it could be a matter of life and death. For those who have been through it, talk to people – it is hard to process the experience alone. Either way, if you need help, do not hesitate to ask for it.”

By: Jade Vyfhuis

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