May is Stroke Awareness Month

Sharing what we know about stroke awareness is still so very important to our family. As most of you know, our daughter Rachel suffered a massive stroke seven years ago, at the age of 22. She survived for four years. Rachel passed away three years ago this month. So, in her honor, we continue to spread the word.

Stroke is a medical emergency. Every minute matters. Know these warning signs – and teach them to others.

FAST is:

Face Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.

Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

Speech Difficulty: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to say a simple sentence, like: "The sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly?

Time to Call 911: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get them to the hospital.

Beyond FAST, other symptoms to know include:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the leg.

Sudden confusion or trouble understanding.

Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance.

Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

In the past, doctors couldn't do much to help stroke victims. That's not true today. Many hospitals, including Union County Hospital and Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, are now accredited stroke centers, recognizing the signs and symptoms immediately of a stroke or TIA.

If a person is taken to the hospital in the first three hours of an ischemic stroke (caused by a clot, and the most common kind of a stroke), treatment can be given. TPA (tissue plasminogen activator) is a drug that can dissolve the clot, reducing long-term disability.

Unfortunately, TPA isn't used as often as it could be because many people don't seek care quickly. If you, or someone you know, has the warning signs of a stroke, call 911 immediately.