Fans of NCIS know and love Brian Dietzen as the charming chief medical examiner, Jimmy Palmer. But behind the scenes, Dietzen faced a life-threatening ordeal of his own when he suffered a stroke in 2020.
In a revealing interview with Variety, Dietzen shared the terrifying details of his experience. He had a dual embolic stroke in his cerebellum, which caused his hands to curl up and left him feeling utterly frightened. As he was rushed to the hospital, Dietzen feared his acting career was over, especially since he couldn’t speak properly.
Dietzen credits his Apple Watch with saving his life. During the stroke, he found himself on the bathroom floor, unable to use his fingers. In a desperate move, he used voice commands to call his wife, Kelly, for help. Despite struggling to speak, he managed to use voice-to-text to dial 911. The experience profoundly changed his outlook on life. Reflecting on his near-death experience, he said:
“‘I don’t think there’s much that I’ve left undone, because everyone that I love knows that I love them’—that sort of thing,” he explained. He made a conscious effort to stay positive, which helped him regain movement in his hands and tongue. Despite the challenges, he was determined to stay mentally strong, even joking about trying to say tongue twisters while in the MRI tube.
Dietzen eventually recovered as the clot cleared, and he was relieved to find that he had a healthy cardiovascular system. Doctors were puzzled by his stroke, given that he was otherwise healthy and in his early 40s. After some tests, they discovered he had a small hole between his atrial chambers that needed to be closed. Remarkably, Dietzen watched the surgery on an overhead screen, as he wasn’t under anesthesia.
Although he returned to work relatively quickly, the pandemic soon disrupted his plans. During his recovery, Dietzen made a personal promise to himself: to pursue writing and storytelling. He realized that even if he couldn’t act, he could still craft compelling stories and stay connected with the supportive people around him.
