how to id a STROKE victim and save a life

STROKE: Remember the Three Letters Plus the Tongue.




STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word, I agreed. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously . please read:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and 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 afternoon. Ingrid's husband called later saying that his wife had been taken to the hospital and 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 stroke victims 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 three hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke . . . totally. He said the trick was having a stroke recognized, diagnosed and then getting the patient medically cared for within three hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE:

Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps.

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.

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

mods if you want to pin this up..
i had a very good mopar buddy suffer a stroke 3 yrs ago and he has never been the same since
his speech is impared and worse (according to him) he can no longer drive.
maybe if he got medical attention sooner he may not suffer the ill effects...
he had a big block valiant..


he was only 59 yrs old !!!!
thanks

Lost my friend to stroke last year. He was 37.

This information can save lives.

Thanks for posting that.

My Step-dad just had a stroke March 4th. We were lucky enough to get him to the Hospital, and thankfully, he is on the road to recovery. He can now lift his right arm up over his head....they're still working on getting his right leg working again. Luckily, his speach, facial expressions and personality are back 100%. Even if a stroke victim gets immediate attention, they'll probably still require a good bit of physical therapy to recover.

This is an Awesome post! Thanks for getting the word out, and possibly saving someones life.

My grandpa had one that left one side of his body useless. My uncle had a smaller one. He got up one day, took a shower. Then got dressed and went down stairs. When he went to say something to my aunt he couldnt. He just couldnt talk. He get to the hospital right away and his speach is almost normal now.

Thanks for posting! Very easy to remember, S T R oke. I agree, should be a sticky

always good to know what to do...just in case

i just found out my mother had a very mild stroke. Mild enough we didn't even know about it. Might have happened as far back as 2 years ago!
Not quite sure when it was but it now explains whe she has a hard time remembering certain word as well as having trouble pronouncing certain words.
Either way it's opened my eyes. i'm all for a sticky.
Oh, she's in her mid 60's.

I'm going to print this and put it on my mother in law's fridge. She had a stroke 2 days after my daughter was born, and has had some very small ones since. She's 80 and recovered about 80-85%, had she known more, she could be even better.

And this is probably a good point too, those of you with elderly parents, keep an eye on their medications. Her stroke was self induced. She was on Cumiden, (sp?)a blood thinner. She forget she had already taken it that day and took it again. Then, she got a headache and took aspirin for that. Aspirin is also a blood thinner. Her blood got so thin that her brain started hemoraging. Fortunately, my sister in law was here from Texas to see our new baby, had she not been staying with Mom, we surely would have lost her. It was iffy there for a few days, trying to get her blood back to normal along with concerns that it would start clotting and cause additional harm. Now my wife goes to her house several times a week to organize her pills and make sure she stays on her schedule.

Six years ago at the age of 40 I was in New England Medical Center for a routine procedure and during the procedure I had a stroke.

The hospital released me w/out even knowing I had a stroke. I was home that afternoon playing with my 4 year old daughter and she asked me to spell "summer". I spelled it s-u-m-l-e-r. My daughter thought it was hysterical and my wife was flipping out. Other aspects came up where she was questioning my speech and I had slight paralysis on the right side of my face.

She called the hospital back and they said to bring me back in. They examined in the ER with a team of Doc's, took a CAT scan, and that it was a stroke.

I was in the hospital for 9 scary days. The neurologist said that due to my age and lifestyle (no drinking or smoking) that I should feel back to normal in 6 months. He was right on the money.

I feel like I am fully recovered but the signs of a stroke can be very subtle, even for a hospital to p/up on.

My wife saved her boss when he had a stroke, but it was irreversable he now walks around w/ a limp and has very little use of his right arm.

Here by stickied...

we lost my Mom last October from a massive stroke. She was by herself, and Dad found her unconscience when he came home from work. Doc said she never knew what hit her. The three hour time frame probably wouldn't have helped her, since she was alone when this happened, but maybe someone else can be helped from this.
Dave

Good tips: To add, when the person raises both arms look to see that both arms stay up evenly and have them do a hand squeeze test to make sure that grip strength is egual on both sides.
If the person does collapse and is unconcious make sure they have a patent airway. Look, listen and feel for respirations. A clear airway is the most important thing. If no respirations, do mouth to mouth.

hi folks
my mom has had 3 t.i.a.mini strokes in the last
2 months.i guess i was pretty lucky to be home
when they happend.she passed out.i called 911,
and got her to the hospital,as soon as possiable.
her speech has come back pretty good so far.
her arms,and legs work good to.she has a hard time
remembering things,some times.this has been one of the most scaryest things in my life.here is a few web site that you can get on.
it tells a lot about strokes,and what happens.
more web sites
www.americanheart.org
www.mayoclinic.com click on disease & conditions.
www.nhlbi.nib.gov/health/index.htm.
www.stroke.org
may god bless all
ron

Thanks for this post!

My mom has had several mini strokes and she gets around ok but she is in her late 70's. My sister talked her and my stepdad into moving downstate a few years ago, now they are 2 hours away from me and my sister doesn't even call them. My other sister ended up moving from Cincinatti to live and take care of them. She's a saint! Problem is she has to work 2 jobs to get by and isn't there all the time. We are trying to convince my mom to move back up near me in assisted living but she is fighting it. Sorry for the rant but it hits home and my sister was crying to me over the phone today. My stepfather is at the doctor today for a followup, his BP was very low and spent the night in the hospital and went home. Now he has a fever.
Please pray for my parents!

My dad had a stroke, a few summers ago luckly my brother was there to get help. He was in the hardware getting a mower belt, he seemd to be confused a little when at the check out counter, got to the truck dropped his keys twice in a row, got in the truck and seemed really confused, kept saying "whats wrong with the truck it wont start" he never had the keys in the ignition, all the time pulling on the gear shifter.....then he started slurring his speach etc, He kept saying nothing was wrong, his mouth was drawn at this time, he starts getting angry cursing at everyone trying to help this is not normal, luckly a passing nurse wittnes this and got help, he would have driven off, and hit someone....he recovered well, but there is always changes, and brain damage always come with it.

Wow, what a great thing to have pinned.

This is why I like this site.
I would hate to have to be in that situation and feel helpless.

I saved a young girls life in a resturant from choking, her parents had no idea what to do. I did the finger sweep down her throat and got lucky. To this day, I will never forget the look on her face as she could not breathe...
I do not think of myself as a hero, just someone who recognized a situation and acted with knowledge.

awesome thread.

I lost my mother to a Stroke a few years back. Trust me by recognizing the symptoms it can truly save a life.

Mike

Thanks. I used this last weekend. My 82 YO next door neighbor had a stroke. He may not make it but this helped.

My father in law had a stroke 2 months ago at age 56. He passed out in the bathroom about 3 hours before anyone else in the house was up. He is currently paralysed on his left side, but it is SLOWLY coming back. He is able to take a few "steps" at a time with a walker. The docs are confident he will fully regain use of his leg, but are not sure about the arm.

If they has caught it when it happened it would (could) have been an entirely different story.

Strangely, he can no longer laugh, but everything else mental is fine.

I've passed over this post many times in the last week, and finally read it today. This post can come in handy especially for me, because of my age. Thanks

Unless it is someone in your immediate family it is not recommended you do anything. If the person dies the family could sue you for trying to do a good deed. Beware!

I will have to remember this.If I see a stroke victom or any type other victom I will turn my cheak and walk away.. The American way right??

If no one was around to help them.I don't think I could live with my self knowing I may had helped them or saved a life.But did nothing because of I may get a law suit on me.

Well,it may be your mom or dad or ? that needs the help from another.So when people watch your mom or dad die in the street and u ask why did no one help.Remember what you said here..

I hope no one takes your advice.Its bs to start with.. Its why we have crime and everything elce!! Like I said or tried to say.Its people like you that have things so screwed up!

FYI:

Is there a legal risk to performing CPR?

Virtually all 50 states have enacted laws to protect people who render aid in an emergency from liability. These laws are often termed “GOOD SAMARITAN LAWS.” These laws are intended to encourage people to render aid in emergencies without the fear of litigious consequences. Good Samaritan laws generally provide that people who render aid at the scene of an emergency will not be liable for civil damages if they act in good faith.

http://www.cpr-professionals.com/aboutus.html

I think that getting training and a certification may be necessary for the protections of that law to apply.

In California, you do need training and certification:

http://www.swc.cc.ca.us/~kjacobs/goodsam.htm

my dad had a stroke after picking me up from school one day last year. he is now paralyzed on his entire right side. in his situation, he made it to the hospital in about an hour, but he had the type of stroke where cells rupture, not clot, so the effects couldnt be reversed. i remember him saying that he was dizzy and nautious, maybe something else to think about. he sat down in his chair and pretty much just couldnt move after abouyt 10 minutes. i didnt think he was gonna make, i was terrified. a stroke is by no means something to be taken lightly. im 17 and now i pretty much take care of my dad, he himself is only 51. this could really save a life, great information. everyone on this board could benefit from information like this.
-taylor

I'm in the middle of a CPR class right now. Taking a break.

Dave

I lost my father to a Stroke and afterwards we all realized that his mood swings in the weeks prior were due to "minny strokes" were warning signs.

Thanks for posting this.

Cudajoe

Take it from a Paramedic... that's great advice