Stroke recognition

I got this as an email forward, but it's an excellent way to assess the neurological status of someone that may be having a stroke.


Subject: STROKE RECOGNITION

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, Macey went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Macey's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00pm, Macey passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ - had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke perhaps Macey would be with us today.

It only takes a minute to read this-

Recognizing a Stroke


----- 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 an getting to the patient within 3 hours which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps. Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify.
Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer 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:

1. *Ask the individual to SMILE.

2. *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

3. *Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. . .. It is sunny out today)

If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call
9-1-1 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

After discovering that a group of non-medical volunteers could identify facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the general public to learn the three questions. They presented their conclusions at the American Stroke Association's annual meeting last February. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage.

 

Thanks Fred! i am going to quiz my better half(nurse) over dinner!!

 

My friend recently thought she was having a stroke. Ended up being Bells Palsey....but it's good to know information like this just in case. Thanks Fred!

 

my mom had a stroke last month. she is 72, lived alone and worked a full time job in huntersville. she awoke one morning around 6:30am and realized that something was wrong. her bedroom was upstairs and she had to crawl down the stairs to her livingroom. she tried to dial for help on her cell phone but the numbers that were saved (the ones she tried to dial) made no sense. she did have some speed dial success but was unable to communicate with the woman she got on the line. she was stuck inside her town home all day long and later, had a heart attack on top of her stroke. she was able to get the attention of a man that was doing yard work just outside of her window and he called 911. they kicked the door in and she was taken to the hospital around 2pm. when i first saw her i did not think that she would survive the night but she did and is now in rehab learning to walk. she had lost function of her right arm and leg but now has movement once again. her face isnt drawn to one side and her speaking ability is normal. but her mind has lost the ability to translate command (or thought) into speech. she talks from reflex and memory but cannot recognize the alphabet and very few numerals. she gets frustrated because she cannot say the things she wants to say.

she had been on blood thinner meds for about a year and a half but stopped taking them and did not tell anybody prior to this. she knows what happened but whats done is done and we are all awaiting her return home to my sisters house. i stop by and visit with her daily as the rehab center (nursing home) is just a few blocks away.

 

VI I am so sorry to hear your mom went through all of that. That is horrible. But my goodness she sounds like a fighter. I do hope she gets all sorted out and is able to go back to her old self. She will be in my thoughts and prayers.

 

thanks patti

 

Gosh VI- it must be so hard to watch your mother suffering, and having to relearn things that were once easy. Please keep us updated.

 

i will

 

As the oldest child of two stroke patient parents, I'd like to offer you some hope. Therapy will do wonders for your mother. She should continue to regain abilities for about a year, and maybe longer. Depending on the amount and type of damage she had, most of what she's lost she should be able to remember rather than relearn. As it was explained to me, the brain (to a certain extent) has the ability to "re-route" signals around damaged tissue, which enables a person to quick recovery of lost abilities.

I can't emphasize this enough -- the key to your mother's recovery is her dilligence in therapy. The more determined and focused she is, the more she'll regain.