Hockey legend Gordie Howe, 86, suffered a serious stroke Sunday in Texas, has lost some function on one side of his body and has difficulty speaking.
The all-time Red Wings great, whom millions across North America call "Mr. Hockey," is resting at his daughter's home in Lubbock, according to his son, Dr. Murray Howe.
"Basically, sometime in the early morning on Sunday he suffered a pretty bad stroke," said Howe, who heads the department of radiology at Toledo Hospital.
"The right side of his body is very, very weak. He's unable to stand without help. He's able to speak, but very, very difficult to speak.
"He knows who he is. He knows the people around him. But it is very difficult for him to get up and walk around. So he is pretty much confined to his bed right now. So we're just trying to keep him comfortable, and that's our goal."
Tough to read for such a tough minded warrior like Howe. But I've read that his last few years have been a real struggle as he battles dementia and other health problems.
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My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Howe's son Murray was quoted as saying "I feel like this is his final lap around the rink. I'm guessing that he's not going to recover ... but then again, he's about as strong as they get. If anybody can do it he can."
"The Howe family is pleased to report that over the past week Mr. Hockey has been recovering at a remarkable rate, including his speech, and his ability to walk with the assistance of a walker. Much work lies ahead, and we would like to thank friends and fans worldwide for their prayers and incredible outpouring of support.
"Our father has been truly moved by the countless phone calls , letters, emails, posts, and the Red Wings "Get Well" gesture during the Oct. 31 game. Mr. Hockey and the entire Howe family cannot thank you all enough."
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More updates from earlier today, sounds like he's improving quite well. Great to hear.
Matthew Sekeres @mattsekeres
Murray Howe tells us that Gordie's physical therapist hasn't seen a recovery this good by an 86-year-old stroke sufferer in 35 years.
Matthew Sekeres @mattsekeres
Murray says his father's personality and sense of humour are in tact, and he hopes that one day Gordie can return to public appearances.
Matthew Sekeres @mattsekeres
Murray Howe does admit that Gordie is in "the last shift of the 3rd period" but "hasn't thrown in the towel."
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After a brief glimmer of hope following a stroke last month, hockey legend Gordie Howe has taken a turn for the worse over the past 10 days and, “is having a really difficult time here,” according to Howe’s son, Mark.
“Things are definitely headed in the wrong direction,” Mark said.
The younger Howe, in fact, sent an email out to family and friends last week telling them that Gordie Howe’s condition has been in rapid decline and that it might be time to consider hospice care for him. “Father Time and all Dad’s illnesses are pains are catching up with him rapidly,” he wrote.
Gordie Howe, who is 86 years old and in the advanced stages of dementia, suffered a serious stroke in late October at his daughter’s home in Lubbock, Texas. After a brief period of recovery that had inspired some optimism, Mark said a host of problems have arisen, not the least of which is debilitating back pain that can’t be treated because he is unable to get up and move around. Mark Howe said the family is hoping to have an epidural done later this week to alleviate the pain, but the problem with that is that in order for that to be done, he will have to go off other medications that are currently helping him cope with anxiety and high blood pressure.
“As a family, if we’re not going to be able to reduce his pain,” Mark Howe said, “the outcome is not going to be good.”
Mark Howe also said there have been several other health issues that have complicated the situation. The pain Gordie Howe is suffering in his back, pain that he was able to tolerate better before the stroke, has elevated his blood pressure, “to scary numbers,” according to Mark. “We’re definitely at a Catch-22 area right now,” Mark said. “And when you put it all together, it’s not the rosy picture we had two weeks ago, without a doubt.”
The family is still holding out hope that if Gordie Howe can get the epidural and reduce the back pain that a recovery still might be possible. Mark said that even though his father is so heavily sedated that he’s immobilized and can’t communicate, he still has some fight left in him. The family has taken turns spending time with Gordie and Mark said he’ll be there for the next week.
So tough to hear about this news. I hope he can get some relief from the pain.
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From HFBoard oiler fan, in analyzing MacT's management:
O.K. there has been a lot of talk on whether or not MacTavish has actually done a good job for us, most fans on this board are very basic in their analysis and I feel would change their opinion entirely if the team was successful.
Update: Gordie Howe in ICU after 2nd stroke.
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