Brain Surgery Saves a Rotarian after a Fall

About 10 years ago, Les Rollins discovered he had heart problems.  Every time he went to the doctor, he said the same thing.  His blood pressure was bad; he was put on medication which caused some dizziness.  After passing out several times, Les went to clinic at Vassar.  He felt with high blood pressure and bad heart, he had to get fixed.  On a nighttime trip to the bathroom, Les slammed into a wall which knocked him down, but he got up and went back to bed.  He was banged up with a black eye and then began to drag his left foot.  A month later, he couldn’t walk at all.  He went to many different doctors; there was no improvement.  Les started to lose the use of his arm – he finally went to the emergency room at Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital where they diagnosed bleeding on the brain which was from the fall a month earlier.  Dr. Cho (neurosurgeon) was in the emergency room at the time.  There was big discussion between Dr. Cho and Les’ cardiologist (who was also in the ER), but Les had no choice.  The cardiologist was afraid Les would die if he had brain surgery, but the neurosurgeon was sure that he would die if he did not have it. He had immediate surgery that night.  He could not be put completely out because of his heart condition.  His head was shaved, scalp cut, and Les passed out.  When he came to, he said, “What the hell are you doing?”  The sound he heard was staples being placed.  The surgery was so much an emergency that Les’ clothes (and even shoes) were not taken off. Les speaks very highly of Dr. Cho and of the physical therapy he received following surgery.  Les had to learn to walk; he couldn’t speak for weeks.  Seventeen days were spent in the hospital.