Catherine Altendorf

Christmas in England visiting your family should always be a wonderful adventure – but for Catherine Altendorf, it was more than the adventure of a lifetime – it was a stroke. She proved that by getting help right away, you CAN beat a stroke – as she did.

This mother of nine and grandmother of 20 was visiting her daughter in York, England, on December 23, 2006, when she suddenly began to experience classic symptoms of a stroke. While waiting to leave a local tearoom, she experienced numbness around her mouth, and her left arm and left leg went numb. She remembers thinking; “Thank God, it’s my left side” (she is right-handed).

However, due to her recent participation in a stroke education course at her church, she immediately recognized that she was having symptoms of a stroke, and knew exactly what to do to get help. Recalling the instructions from the course, she “knew to get to the hospital right away”, and told her daughter “let’s go to the hospital now” (10 minutes away).

Upon arrival at the York District Hospital emergency department, her evaluation and treatment did indeed confirm the diagnosis (“they said my CT scan showed 2 ‘spots’ on my brain definitely showing a stroke”). Altendorf said the staff of the emergency department at the hospital were amazed at her level of stroke knowledge, commenting “does everyone in America know as much about stroke as you do?”. Her response was “NO, I just had a course in stroke at my church!”

When asked why she attended the stroke course, Altendorf replied “I’ve always been interested in medicine, planning to go to medical school until I fell in love, got married and had nine children”. However, recent changes in her own health made her determined to learn how to protect herself from stroke, and to be able to recognize the symptoms and act urgently.

The stroke course she received at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Oklahoma City was offered as part of an ongoing stroke education program offered through the local American Heart Association called “Nurses In Churches”. Local nurses who volunteer or practice as Parish Nurses in their congregations are given stroke prevention updates and resources for use in their local church to educate their own members about stroke awareness and risk reduction. St. Francis of Assisi Parish Nurse, Mary Diane Steltenkamp, RN, and Mary Pinzon, RN, Community Education nurse for the INTEGRIS Stroke Center of Oklahoma, presented the six-month course to members of the parish and community.

Now back home in Oklahoma and returning to her daily pre-stroke activities without weakness or deficits, Altendorf has some strong recommendations for others to benefit from her experience. 

• “Be knowledgeable and know the warning signs of stroke, and be able to get to the hospital right away.” (She remembered the Act FAST stroke reminder (F=facial droop; A=arm drift down/weak; S=slurred speech, and T=Time to call 911). 
•  “Watch your Blood Pressure” (most important modifiable risk factor for stroke)

“I don’t want it to happen again – ANYWHERE.” For this smart stroke survivor, knowledge is power to beat a stroke. For more information about stroke education or the Nurses In Churches program, contact Mary Pinzon, RN at (405) 644-6347.