STROKE IDENTIFICATION

Well, my Aunt Kaye has definitely had a least one stroke and is affected on one side. She does open her eyes but she isn't responding to anyone verbally. Bob is holding her hand a lot and whenever he lets go of her hand she opens her eyes. They did an MRI yesterday and she does have brain activity--and her breathing has improved. So, there is hope--but she would have a long recovery and lots of physical therapy ahead if she does get better so we need lots of prayers.

I've felt pretty frustrated because I think the hospital should have recognized she had probably had a stroke and given her a stroke shot. I don't know how many of you are aware of this but there is a shot that if it is administered within three hours of someone having a stroke it can reverse most of the effects of a stroke.
It's called tPA-- tissue plasminogen activator. It's a treatment researchers came up with in the 1990's for the treatment of ischemic stroke. Over 80% of all strokes are of this type, and are commonly caused by blood clots that interrupt blood flow in an area of the brain. It's effectiveness has been proven by many clinical trials but it only works well within a three hour window. If administered after three hours it can cause serious and deadly bleeding in the brain--so doctors refer to those three hours as the golden hours. Those hours are often missed because both patients and doctors miss the signs that a patient is having or has had a stroke.
So, I am going to remind us all of those signs right now.

I'm sure you have all received this on the Internet before but please read it and memorize the signs. You never know when it will be someone you love whose life you save. 


STROKE: Remember the 1st Three Letters.... S. T. R.
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

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

I hope none of us ever need to know this information--but just in case--I hope this helps.