. . .On Tuesday morning my husband, David, woke up with numbness on his right side. For some reason he wasn't too concerned, and drove his car, took Marley for a walk at Lake Murray, and waited until almost four o'clock in the afternoon before calling 911. Why he waited is beyond my understanding. When he was admitted into Kaiser, his blood pressure was soaring at 260! By the time I arrived, it had gone down to 220, and he was receiving potassium through an intravenus tube. After having a CAT scan and a carotid test, it was found that he had suffered a "dry" stroke on the left side of his brain. "Dry" means that there was no blood in the brain, which is a very good sign. Two nights in the hospital and many other tests, he is happily at home now. With physical therapy and time we are hopeful that his right arm will improve. My son Brandon came home yesterday, and next week my daughter Andrea will spend a few days with David. It could have been much worse, and for that I count my blessings.
A girlfriend sent me an e-mail that helped me understand the signs that indicate if someone has had a stroke. I thought I would share the information with everyone.
STROKE: Remember the 1st Three Letters.... S.T.R.
My nurse friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word.
I agree.
If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.
Seriously..
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) .she said she had
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 6:00 pm 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 and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue
NOTE:
Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his
tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other,that is also an indication of a stroke.
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