STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters...S.T.R.

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.

Thanks you H2C

We think my mother has had several strokes so this may come in handy some day.

Charlie

"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."

Sorry, can't believe that one. SOME stroke victims, maybe, but certainly not all. Want proof? My old Sunday School teacher/Youth Group advisor had a stroke and died within 20 minutes of the onset of symptoms.

Looked it up on snopes.com and found some good additional information, not only about the email but about strokes in general.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/stroke.asp

Cory

"Do nothing which is of no use." Miyamoto Musashi

Depends on the type of stroke. A clot can easily be reversed, while a bleed is almost always fatal. There are a few ways to know the difference without CT, but it would take awhile to explain them all.

Jordan

Bitter, but better.

Welcome back Jordan !!

And as you walk you make your path Kat

Thanks Kat,

Jamaica was nice. Cyn and I had 5 good days and nights there. Only 2 bad ones. We did talk about the bad ones, still doesn't make it easier. Yesterday I was so mad I was ready to throw in the towel again.

Jordan

Bitter, but better.

the roller coaster appeared to have left the station... right? Jordan?

You are doing so well.... one step forward, 2 steps back... it's ok, Jordan, you are still moving forward !

And as you walk you make your path Kat

One of the first signs of a stroke is a SEVERE headache.

We are talking about a headache that NOTHING will alleviate. We are talking a hot poker being stabbed into your head/neck. We are talking the headache from HELL. That is what precipitated my stroke ten years ago when I was 43.

Don't get alarmed if you get a bad headache, but if you get one and then have other synptoms, such as numbness in your arms, difficulty talking or walking, and you see double, then get to a hospital-pronto.

I had a spontaneous dissection of a basilar artery, but it didn't tear all the way through to the outside, which if it had, well, I wouldn't be writing this... A clot formed and boom- completely paralyzed, except for my eyeballs. I was life-flighted to OHSU where the neurointerventionist, put a line in my femoral artery and gave me urokinase which broke up the clot. And VOILA here I am today running on all cylinders. And get this, when I was taken to the ER by ambulance- guess who was on duty and was my doctor-my H!!! And, there is a slide of my brain that a neurosurgeon uses for lectures. My brain is famous!! Now you know my secret. HAHA


TLMM-

wow who knew I had such a famous mom

How ya doing MM.....long time no talk. Glad you are still with us. But that is what you get for being so stubborn watermelon queen hehe!