Donating to The Miriam Hospital
Patient Voices
Joseph Brissette: A New Outlook
““We are so fortunate that Joseph was at The Miriam when he had the stroke. They saved my husband’s life.”
Erika Brisette
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Dr. DeOrchis and James Bass, MD, led the
vascular interventional team that performed
the pretreatment angiogram, placing a
catheter into the right carotid artery, which
revealed a more complicated problem—a
blockage in the carotid artery below the
stroke-producing clot at the base of the brain.
Another procedure, the newly approved
carotid stent placement, would have to be performed
first. Once the stent opened the blockage
in Joseph’s neck, a smaller catheter was
guided into the clot at the base of his brain;
the clot was dissolved with tissue plasminogen
activator (tPA). “It was amazing,” says Erika. “The team worked like clockwork.”
Only hours following the procedure, Joseph
began speaking and moving.
Erika feels “so fortunate
that Joseph was at
The Miriam when he had
the stroke. They saved my
husband’s life.”
After weeks at The Miriam and weeks at a
rehabilitation center, Joseph returned to his
home in Burrillville. Visiting nurses worked
with him for about a month, helping him to
relearn basic skills. Today, Joseph is speaking
clearly, walking without assistance, writing
legibly, typing on his computer keyboard and
enjoying life. “If you didn’t know Joseph had a
stroke, you’d never be able to tell,” says Erika.
Joseph, Erika and their four children have a
new outlook on life. “We’ve learned not to
take the little things too seriously. We take
things one day at a time.”
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