Vickie Vermillion

Welcome to our CaringBridge website for Vickie Vermillion. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement.  This is Carrie Breedlove, Vickie's eldest daughter writing. 

On 2/15/18 at 8:05am mom had a stroke while at home. She did not fall as she was sitting at the kitchen table when then stroke occured.  Mom dropped a plate which alerted my dad, John Vermillion, to check on her. Dad was able to immediately call 911 to get help. Within an hour she was given medication (tPA) to thin her blood, this is hospital protocol, so we are thankful dad was able to get help so quickly.  Within about 4 hours she was careflighted to UT Southwestern where she received immediaten surgery to remove a large blood clot from the left side of her brain. The surgery was sucessful in removing the clot with no complications.

Atherosclerosis was discovered in the arteries on either side of her neck and in the arteries in her brain. They were able to use a balloon like proceedure in the artery of her brain where the clot was located to widen it, allowing the blood to flow more freely. She remains on blood thinners.  The right artery showed to be more clogged than the left, which leads the team to believe that the clot could have originated in the left artery. 

As a result of the stroke mom's right side is weakened and she has had difficulty in lifting her right arm and at times has been unable to move it.  She has been unable to communicate verbally since the stroke. There is a slight facial droop on her right side, but she has been able to smile slightly on occasion.  She is able to move her left arm and leg and is able to move her eyes back and forth.  

We would appreciate your prayers for her recovery. Recovery will be a long process and her team is monitoring her very closely. Right now her speech and her ability to rest in between all her exams is our primary concern.