Recognizing a Stroke

[Karlynn]

I just got this in an email. I've seen it before, but I thought it would be worthwhile posting here to either refresh people's memories or to give new information for those who haven't seen it.

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 withANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue ;

NOTE: 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.

 

[Cooker]

Thanks....I have seen this before but we need to be reminded of this often.

 

[Freddie]

Thanks Karlynn, this is something we all should know

 

[Superbob]

Very important to know. My wife was giving a presentation at a convention in 1996 (I wasn't there) and evidently fought through early stroke symptoms. At the very end, someone attending recognized what was going on and rushed her to a nearby hospital. The earlier they can begin treatment, the better the prognosis.

 

[Bina]

When in doubt, get to the ER or call 9-1-1

My father lives alone and had a stroke last November, he thinks that it was a couple of hours before he could dial the phone for help.
I told him an ambulance was on the way and to unlock the front door and lay on the floor nearby.
He did not call 911 initially, because he has a very protective German Shepherd dog.....my sister had to go over to "dog handle".

Learn the signs of stroke and make a plan of action before you need it.

 

[sue943]

I want to echo the "Make a plan". I live alone with no family near and have type II diabetes so knew I was high risk for either a stroke or heart attack and had often thought of what I would to do, or try to do, in the event of either problem. When I had my stroke, or should I say once I realised that I had had a stroke I managed to do what I had planned in my mind - I unlocked a door then phoned a neighbour for help. The neighbour called my doctor asking for an immediate house call, she packed my case, then once I was in hospital she fed the cat etc.

That neighbour has now moved away so I have given keys to two other neighbours and have given them written details of contact numbers, doctors etc. I have also set up an 'alarm' system whereby a woman on the other side of the world watches to make sure I come online by a reasonable time in the morning, if I don't she telephones me to check that I am ok, if she gets no answer she will phone one of my neighbours to check on me.

Get yoru plan worked out.

 

[BackDoc]

"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 withANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue ;


unable to smile = facial nerve damage, most like cranial nerve injury at the brain stem. could be caused by stroke

unable to talk and speak, or confused as to time and location = brain injury

unable to raise both arms at the same time = motor deficit resulting from brain injury.

tongue deviation = same as unable to smile. cranial nerve injury or lesion affecting the brainstem.

other symptoms; person will complain of the worst headache pain they can imagine. can also be accompanied by neck pain and stiffness. could indicate a dissection of the vertebral artery as it enters the brain.

call 911 ASAP, and make sure that the hospital as a neuro-surgeon on staff.

 

[Bina]

Rachel, thats right. My father had had a mini stroke in September which he chose to ignore and only told me about 2 weeks after the fact. I had emphasized that this was a warning and not to ignore it....then he had that second, more serious stroke. These symptoms are to be taken very seriously, my father was hospitalized for 8 days and had weeks of physio to regain proper use of his leg. Very scary stuff!!

 

[Bina]

Thanks Rachel.
When it happened in November I could not talk about it....I felt like my heart had been ripped open again.
He is 77 and active. In February he is having ultrasounds on his legs....terrible pain and stiffness, could be veins narrowing or clots

 

[roundsgirl]

I've seen this post somewhere before and it always makes me think of my precious Dad, he had a massive stoke in 2006, he was out of town and when they found him he was on the floor; he couldn't speak or get up, so it happened sometime during the night, which left the doctors unable to give them whatever the med is to reverse the effects of the stroke if its caught within a certain amount of time. Sometimes I think this is what finally really broke my heart. It was horrible, he could not swallow, speak and had no feeling on the entire right side of his body. It was the hardest time of our life, seems like he slept most of 2 weeks; they told us he would not survive; gave us no hope at all, but we wouldn't settle for that. His stroke was April 30 2006, he went to 4 different hospitals, I watched him work so hard to get better, he learned to swallow, but his speech was limited, "hot damn", ****, what, DADA, and buddy buddy. But it was amazing how he still understood what was going on around him and how he learned to let us know what he wanted with his limited vocabulary, but he did. I hope his limited words doesn't offend anybody, it was our truth and what we had. We cared for him at home which I am greatful for. I taught him the hand sign for I love you. I can see that hand going up and him signing me and saying buddy buddy when I walked in the room. Oh yeah he remembered how to give us the bird all on his own if we made him mad. We went 3 days a week to rehab, speech, physical and occupational, and he was making progress, then came the cancer diagnosis, which would prove to be just too much for him. The place where he went for rehab is the same place they will want to send me for cardio rehab and I'm a little uneasy of the memories it will bring up. Anyways, stokes can be this bad, which to me is worse than my heart situation, atleast I'm not helpless, I can express what I want to say and need. It is hard, his mom on the other hand had alot of little, mini strokes in her lifetime, weird how they work on people. My dad's heart stayed in irreagular beats which probably contributed to his stoke. I have 2 cysts on my brain which makes me at a greater than normal risk for stroke, this scares me. I told my surgeon before my OHS if I stroked during the sugery and it was massive to let my family have some time with me and then let me go. I just couldn't stand the thought of my 20 year old son having to live through what we did. My dad's nickname was Roundman, that's why you see my post signed Roundsgirl. He died Dec. 22 2006, the cancer had spread through out his body. We buried him on Christmas Eve, we were with him the moment he passed, he waited until it was just me, my brother and my sister in the room, it was the only time he opened his eyes all that night; we all told him it was ok to go home; he looked at each of us and one tear rolled down his cheek and he was gone. I know I got off track a bit and I'm sorry, I just love and miss him soooo much. The one thing I wanted most before my surgery was to fall into his arms and have him tell me everything would be alright. So obviously I agree to know the signs of a stroke and don't take any chances get help fast. Take care and sorry I went on for so long.

 

[surfsparky]

Thanks so much for sharing about your dad, Lisa. He sounds like he was a wonderful, funny man...even after his stroke with his limited speech. Sounds too, like you have some beautiful memories of him.
You must miss him so much.
Thanks for your openness and honesty,
thinking of you,

 

[Bina]

Roundsgirl (Lisa), thank you for sharing a very sensitive and personal part of your life.

 

[Mary]

You know, twice I argued two different people out of driving me immediately to the hospital.
There is tremendous denial as to what's happening. It happens so quickly, that in my case, I wanted to wait and see before I went anywhere.
The first time, my husband cajoled me into "just going and see what they think". That resulted my spending nearly a week in the hospital.
The second time, I made my girlfriend drive me home. Once we got here, my husband faced less resistance when he said we were going to the ER.
I should mention that both instances were caused by calcification breaking loose from my stenotic aortic valve. I've had no problems since replacement.
So I suppose my point is, one should recognize the signs of a stroke, but don't be surprised if you are met with resistance from the person having one.

 

[Nancy]

I also was met with resistance when bringing Joe in to the ER for what were TIAs (transient ischemic attacks) which some say is a mini stroke whose symptoms go away after a short time. He had several.

He always complained and complained. And one time he pulled out all his lines, took off his monitor stickies, put on his clothes and started walking out. He thought they were taking too long in the ER (they were waiting for bloodwork and scan results to come back). Nurses were chasing him down the hall to sign "hold harmless" papers. I did take him home, he was just too angry. Maybe the resistance has something to do with the mechanism of brain problems, even if they are temporary.

I did lecture him all the way home. He knew he had done a foolish thing. The TIA symptoms had subsided by that time.

I do not recommend that anyone do that! It's just too dangerous.

 

[Mary]

Maybe the resistance has something to do with the mechanism of brain problems, even if they are temporary.

Now that's a thought.
Besides the two events that landed me at the hospital, I had a whole slew of TIA's.They always made their onset "known" by a feeling that someone was swinging me around and around--like I was spinning on a very fast merry go round. It got to the point where I could pinpoint the exact moment that the clot traveled to my brain. So it seems possible that an area of the brain that controls emotions might be affected.
I was never angry about it; just very adamant in my belief that the symptoms would subside in time. And of course, that is dangerous.

 

[Nancy]

One neurologist could tell us the area of the brain that was affected by the TIAs just by us telling him what the symptoms were. I very distinctly remember one that Joe had while winding up the garden hose. He totally forgot how to do it half way through, and I had to go out and help him finish it. Immediately after, it dawned on me what had happened, and he was whisked off to the ER.

The neurologist said that whatever was travelling through (plaque, calcium, tiny clots, other debris, who knows) went through the motor skills part of the brain. Then it all made sense.

So, yes, it could easily affect emotions, too.

I guess the moral of the story is that if someone you know is having stroke symptoms, and they are resistant, go ahead and take them in to the ER, get help if needed or call 911. Don't listen to anything they are saying, they may not be thinking clearly.