Sheriff rushed to Boise after shoulder stiffness reveals arterial blockage

JOHN DAY – Grant County Sheriff Todd McKinley is recovering after tightness in his left arm and shoulder led to the discovery of a potentially life threatening blockage in his right carotid artery.

McKinley explained in a Facebook post that he’d been pruning trees with a saw in his left hand above his head on March 29. The following day, McKinley noticed his left arm and shoulder felt stiff.

“I was stretching and rubbing my neck when something felt off,” according to the post.

Mckinley went into work on March 31 and made a trip to his chiropractor after feeling like things still weren’t right. McKinley’s chiropractor looked him over and suggested the sheriff obtain an MRI and CT scan before any work was done on his shoulder.

Mckinley was quickly ushered into an ambulance headed for St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise after those scans revealed a large blockage in the carotid artery on the right side of his neck. Doctors at St. Alphonsus removed a 2-centimeter blockage from McKinley’s carotid artery following an hourslong surgery.

Mckinley said he isn’t sure why his chiropractor suggested the scans although he does have his own theories.

“I think he had some concerns that I’d had a stroke,” McKinley said. “Between that and not wanting to touch it and do anymore damage, he said ‘hey, I need you to go do that before I’ll touch you.’”

McKinley himself was not overly concerned about the stiffness in his arm and shoulder, thinking he’d simply “pulled something.”

The question running through McKinley’s mind in the aftermath of his surgery is “why,” given his age and fitness. McKinley found out it is possible to have a genetic cholesterol disorder that has nothing to do with diet.

“I could’ve eaten lettuce everyday and it would have still showed up,” he said.

McKinley acknowledged the stresses of a job in law enforcement likely contributed to his diagnosis, although he couldn’t put the blame solely on the job.

Listen to your body

McKinley is urging people not to ignore signs their body may give them that could indicate  something is not right.

“It could’ve been very significant had I not gone in there,” he said.

McKinley said his ordeal was life threatening and his chiropractor’s suggestion to obtain a CT scan and MRI either saved his life or prevented a drastic reduction in his overall quality of life.

“Life is short, pay attention to the signs and don’t put it off,” McKinley said. “I’ve been pretty healthy all my life, this was a shocker.”

He also urged people to get their cholesterol checked and explore whether they have genetic based cholesterol issues.

“It’s something that people need to get checked,” he said.

On the mend

McKinley arrived in Boise on March 31 and stayed there an entire week recovering from his surgery. He came back to Grant County on April 6 and has been recovering at home since.

McKinley passes his time doing physical and occupational therapy with the Blue Mountain Hospital and has remained active despite being in recovery, including mowing his lawn. He’s still not quite fit to resume the duties of sheriff and he isn’t sure when he’ll resume patrols throughout Grant County.

Despite that, McKinley can’t get away from the job completely.

“I went into the office today and took care of whatever things I needed to,” he said. “As far as back 100% … I have no idea when that will be.”

In the meantime, Grant County Undersheriff Zach Mobley, Patrol Sgt. Damon Rand and Corrections Sgt. Wade Waddel at the Grant County Jail will collectively fill in during McKinley’s absence.

A man of faith, McKinley credited God for looking out for him throughout this ordeal.

“I wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t,” McKinley said. “I am a firm believer that the Lord works in mysterious ways, and I’m not going to question that.”