Prompt Stroke Care Restores Woman’s Active Lifestyle

Martha Vucsko is a woman who’s always on-the-go. As a business owner of a med spa for 32 years, and a boutique owner for the past two years, she loves helping others look and feel their best. On January 6, 2025 however, Martha’s body gave her a warning sign to slow down.

“I woke up in the middle of the night and fell right on my face trying to get out of bed,” she remembers. “I was very lethargic and unresponsive, and my boyfriend called 9-1-1.”

Martha was transported to University Hospitals Portage Medical Center in an ambulance, and the EMS team sent CT scans to the neurologist on call, Kelsey Rose Duncan, MD, MBA, for evaluation. Dr. Duncan is a vascular neurologist and neuro-endovascular surgeon at UH Cleveland Medical Center.

“The CT scan showed basilar artery occlusion, a type of stroke where the basilar artery, which supplies blood to the brainstem and posterior part of the brain, is blocked,” explained Dr. Duncan. “The team administered Tenecteplase (TNK) – a heavy-duty clot busting drug. TNK works by trying to dissolve blood clots that block blood flow to the brain.”

After TNK administration, Martha was quickly transferred to UH Cleveland Medical Center to meet Dr. Duncan and her team in case she needed a thrombectomy – a surgical procedure that removes a blood clot. Luckily, that wasn’t necessary.

“When Martha arrived at our main campus, we found that the clot buster had completely dissolved the blood clot and we were pleased to see that she had started improving dramatically,” Dr. Duncan said. “One of the biggest game changers in this case is that 9-1-1 was called so she received care immediately. There is typically a 4½ hour window of time where TNK must be administered to work effectively.”

Following a night in the neurology ICU, Martha was discharged and was eventually put on remote cardiac monitoring which caught some atrial fibrillation (AFib) – an irregular and often rapid heart rhythm that can lead to blood clots, stroke and other complications. It occurs when the upper chambers of the heart (atria) beat out of sync with the lower chambers (ventricles).

“Once Martha was discharged, we started the process of figuring out why she had this stroke,” Dr. Duncan explained. “Several months later she experienced another small stroke despite being on aspirin, and during that admission we were able to identify that she was having episodes of atrial fibrillation. This was causing clots to form in her heart and resulting in strokes. We were then able to start a different medication to prevent this from happening again in the future.”

Martha was transitioned to anticoagulation medication, the appropriate therapy for AFib, and began working through stroke rehabilitation and physical therapy at the Stroke Recovery Center at University Hospitals Rehabilitation Hospital in Beachwood.

She is getting back to being 100 percent and feels fortunate her right side was not affected by the stroke. Her left hand and foot were most affected. She barely needs a wheelchair, uses a walker and is still working through rehab while keeping her heart monitored.

“I am so thankful for Dr. Duncan,” Martha said. “She explained what I was going through in a way that was easy to understand. My support team of doctors, including my cardiologist and primary care provider have been so helpful in getting me back to feeling more like myself.”

Martha has always been a very active person and used to be a personal trainer and body builder.

“The hardest part about recovery is being patient,” she explained. “When my physical therapist met with me, they could tell I was Type A and very motivated. I like instant gratification. I’ve had knee, hip and back surgeries in the past so I know how important physical therapy is for recovery and that I just need to work hard and be patient.”

Looking back, she remembers how stressed she was and believes that led to her stroke as well.

“At the time, I remember I was having migraines and was under a lot of stress. I had recently lost my best friend to cancer, and I was caring for my mother whom I lost as well. I recently had a knee replacement, too. Owning two businesses on top of that was a lot to manage. I’m very on-the-go, but I know there’s a reason for everything. My body was clearly telling me to slow down and take a break.”

Martha is still participating in physical therapy and stroke rehab and is looking forward to starting a new endeavor. She wrote a self-help book for female stroke victims about her experience and hopes sharing her story will give others hope. While she sold her med spa, she still wants to help others look and feel like their best, beautiful selves.

“I remember being in the hospital and not being able to do my own makeup or hair, and how much I wanted that,” she said. “My next goal is to visit and help patients in this way once I fully recover and I’d love to start a mobile, non-profit med spa as my next adventure.”