I learned today that my Republican U.S. Senator, Mark Kirk, had a stroke this weekend. Two years ago he was still my Congressman. I'm currently working hard to help defeat his successor.
Also today, Gabby Giffords retires from Congress, sadly succumbing, to that extent, to the ongoing effects of her terrible brain injury.
Of course as a typical, sixty-something, overweight, hypertensive, Type 2 diabetic, and a fan of Carl Sagan's fabulous book, Broca's Brain, my mind easily wanders to thoughts of stroke. So, imagine my surprise when the third shoe dropped today, and a friend shared some really great information about strokes and stroke victims that everyone should know.
I'll put the full text of her post below, but here are the easy to remember takeaways:
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Remember the '3' steps, S-T-R .
S * Ask the individual to SMILE ..
T * = TALK. Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (eg '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 the ambulance and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
NOTE : Another 'sign' of a stroke is
1. Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue.
2. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.
This seemed worth re-posting for this community. Here is the full text of the post from my friend. It includes anecdotal information emphasizing the importance of quickly recognizing when someone may have experienced a stroke:
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a party, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. (they offered to call ambulance)
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 6:00pm , Ingrid passed away.)
She had suffered a stroke at the party . 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...
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
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
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 * = TALK. Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (eg '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 the ambulance and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
NOTE : Another 'sign' of a stroke is
1. Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue.
2. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.
A prominent cardiologist says if everyone who gets this status shares it; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.......
May all who read this always remember, but never have to use, this important health information.