Too important to ignore-STROKE

[brigadier]

Hi guys this is doing the rounds via email but is important so thought Id do my bit and post it here!

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 withANY ONE of these tasks,
call 999/911 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.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this
e-mail sends it to10 people; you can bet that
at least one life will be saved.

[Jen]

my grandad kept on and kept on having strokes. for over 9 yrs my nanna cared for him single handedly, he had his first stroke when i was very young but luckily i can remember him how he used to be. if my nanna had known the symptoms of stroke then maybe he could have been helped sooner after he had the first one. i remember on my birthday one year he was rushed to hospital in an ambulance, three months later he died from the biggest and most severe stroke.

if people had been more aware of strokes, the symptoms and the urgency then my angrad would still be here today with me enjoying my blossie with me.

RIP angrad
tons of love from your little jenny-wren! xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[gnuton]

Thank you for posting this message. What is really interesting though about this message is that my husband received the same message from a friend of his all the way over here in Canada.

Amazing the strength of the internet.

[brigadier]

Certainly is Gnuton- we all get messages like these and to be honest I delete most but this one struck a note. I think we all have lost someone or know someone who is gone because of this. AND head injuries are something we all risk everytime we approach a horse so its best to know symptoms!
brig

[Maes Seren]

Just to put a dampener on this, that 3hr slot might work for some, but not all. Someone i know had what they classed as a 'mild stroke' last march. Used to be a chatty, outgoing woman, she had treatment within 3hrs and shes not improved much ... suppose she can keep her arm in its socket now...

[brigadier]

Hi Mae
having lost my mum to a stroke well before her time I agree with what you say- she had the fatal one in a doctors surgery!- so I think it will depend on the severity of the brain bleed as to recovery- whichever way you look at it- its a terrible thing and its a timely reminder of some of the symptons to look for.
brig

[Blonde Donkey]

one of my dads mates had a stroke at work. just got up said he wasn't feeling well and fell down dead right there unfortunatley.

[chellebean]

My Nan must of been one of the lucky ones... she has had 3 in the last 15years and still fighting!

[duckles]

Thanks for that Brig. Strokes run in my family so hit home. Sorry to hear about your Mum. My Dad died from same thing although he did initially recover from the effects of the first (misdiagnosed) one.

[zara]

Just as an add on can I just say that the term "stroke" is a common term for a "cerebral vascular accident". This can be a bleed or a blood clot, both can be fatal but more so with a bleed. Also with a haemorrhage the effects is often more sudden than a clot. With both however a speedy diagnosis is vital to improve survival and to limit disability.

Also having worked as a nurse in A + E or a number of years never, ever, underestimate a drunk head injury! i've seen too many people die or become severley disabled as a result of a bang to the head which wasn't taken seriously because the patient was drunk. Be alert and ensure that they are rousable and responding and that they are improving! Zx