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Know the Warning Signs of Stroke...
Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
Below is an e-mail that is going around the internet.
I think it's a good way to remember what to do if you are around someone that you think is having a Stroke.
Please feel free to copy this in an e-mail and forward to everybody you know.
If this raises the awareness of just one person at a crucial juncture, then a life could be saved.
_____
STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters...S.T.R.
A friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word.
If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save someone some
day. Please read:
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured
everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just
tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and
got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid
went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband
called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at
6:00p m, Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had
they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with
us today.! Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition
instead .
It only takes a minute to read this...
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he
can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick
was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient
medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately,
the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe
brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple
questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their
tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other
that is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with
ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately !! and describe the
symptoms to the dispatcher.
A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people;
you can bet that at least one life will be saved.
I would like to add one thing to this original email.
Get to know which hospital has a MRI unit available all the time. Get the
patient to one of those hospital if you think the patient is having a
stroke.
The MRI will tell the Doctor if the stroke is caused by a clot or a bleed.
The stroke caused by a clot can be reversed with a clot busting drug which
has to be administered within the 3 hour window.
I had this kind of stroke, but we did not know this fact, so the doctor's could not
help me within the 3 hour window.
I was lucky, I've gotten most of my mobility back and can talk very easily (unless I'm tired), but it was a long road, and I'm still feel that I'm still recovering.
To view my story, go to www.tammyjardine.com
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