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ST GEORGE — Getting specialized care in more rural areas of Utah isn’t always convenient. But, over the years, Intermountain Healthcare’s expansion in Southern Utah has continued to bring critical care to the people it serves. That is how one unexpected diagnosis was handled quickly before more serious problems could develop.
There has been a common denominator to most of sixth-grade math teacher Bob Bruschke’s days over the years. “I was just in my classroom talking and teaching,” says Bruschke.
But one day last fall, Bruschke says something very unusual happened. “Just for a minute, everything went double vision.”
Bruschke asked his aide to take over. “Two minutes later, I felt fine. I took back over and everything felt good again,” Bruschke said.
At home, Bruschke’s wife insisted on taking him to the emergency room at Dixie Regional Medical Center where the medical staff gave him a frightening diagnosis.
“He (the doctor) did a CAT scan and he came back in and said, ‘Oh, you have a pituitary tumor,’” Bruschke said.
Dr. Jotham Manwaring is a neurosurgeon at the Southern Utah Neurosciences Institute who took over Bruschke’s care after his diagnosis. “It’s kind of high-priced real estate in the brain because the pituitary gland sits right underneath the optic nerves or the nerves to the eyes,” says Manwaring.
“He was very concerned that it would affect my optic nerve and the possibility of going blind,” says Bruschke.
Immediate surgery was recommended and with the 2013 opening of the Southern Utah Neurosciences Institute, Bruschke didn’t have to go far.
“It’s amazing the technology that’s available and how fortunate I am to have the technology here,” Bruschke said.
Manwaring agrees saying, “The families here, the community in general, feel like it’s so much better for them to have the same care here they would get anywhere else but right at home.”
With routine follow-up care, Bob Bruschke went back to his students at George Washington Academy, where he describes his condition as…”Fantastic, I don’t think I could be living in a better place for this kind of thing (health emergency) to happen.”
Bruschke decided to retire from teaching in May; but he’s not slowing down, especially with a clean bill of health from his neurosurgeon and a clear vision of what he’d like to do with his days off this fall. Jenniffer is a Special Projects Producer who heads up the Your Life Your Health, Zero Fatalities and High 5 initiatives. For questions, feedback or possible story ideas, please email jmichaelson@ksl.com.
