Recognizing the signs of a stroke

[Jersey mike]

Below is a link showing a TV news anchor having a stroke live on tv, maybe some of you have already watched this elsewhere.

She seemed confused but knew something wasn’t right, the signs outwardly seemed subtle but she knew enough to stop and get help.

There is a video of her as she went off the air in the article.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/my-mouth-would-not-speak-the-words-that-were-right-in-front-of-me-tulsa-newscaster-has-beginnings-of-a-stroke-live-on-air

[..]

F.A.S.T.

https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/stroke-risk-reduction/fast-stroke-diagnosis

[scooperhsd]

My wife was preparing someone's taxes when she had a "microstroke" right in front of them. For a while, she had a problem on turning off lights, gas burners, the oven etc. Then after she saw our doctor at the time, he referred her to a neurologist, and an ultrasound found she had a blockage on one side of the carata artery. Trying to clear it causes more problems than leaving it alone, so that's what was done - leave it alone. She has been fine since then (at least as far as THAT was concerned), and she has regained most of the functionality lost.

[Jersey mike]

I don’t know for certain if it’s still protocol for a stroke, but my wife use to carry low dose dissolvable aspirin for just in case situations with her parents.

[f6gal]

I don’t know for certain if it’s still protocol for a stroke, but my wife use to carry low dose dissolvable aspirin for just in case situations with her parents.

Taking aspirin is NOT advised during a stroke (until after a brain scan is completed).  Not all stokes are ischemic (blood clots).  If someone is having a hemorrhagic stroke (brain bleed), aspirin is likely to make the bleeding significantly worse. 

[Serk]

[f6gal]

 

[..]

I don’t know for certain if it’s still protocol for a stroke, but my wife use to carry low dose dissolvable aspirin for just in case situations with her parents.

Taking aspirin is NOT advised during a stroke (until after a brain scan is completed).  Not all stokes are ischemic (blood clots).  If someone is having a hemorrhagic stroke (brain bleed), aspirin is likely to make the bleeding significantly worse. 

 

[scooperhsd]

OTOH - if you're like me - low dose asprin is excellent for stroke PREVENTION.

[Jersey mike]

I don’t know for certain if it’s still protocol for a stroke, but my wife use to carry low dose dissolvable aspirin for just in case situations with her parents.

Taking aspirin is NOT advised during a stroke (until after a brain scan is completed).  Not all stokes are ischemic (blood clots).  If someone is having a hemorrhagic stroke (brain bleed), aspirin is likely to make the bleeding significantly worse. 

After I read your response I asked Barbara about her parents (both have passed now…mom 4 yrs and dad almost 2 ) and she carried the aspirin because they both had existing heart conditions. She hadn’t heard of the *change* either, which seems to have switched around 2020 but maybe it’s been longer.

We’ve both been under the impression it was a best case scenario for low dose aspirin in the event of an emergency with signs of a stroke. Now apparently it’s only for those with a diagnosed heart condition.

Thanks for clarifying, appreciate it.

[Patrick]

Apparently JoAnn had a slight stoke [ TIA ?] a short while back. Doctors are not quite sure. She has trouble with stairs, she was falling on them quite a bit. She is very slow walking or doing anything anymore and she can't write anymore.  She had no symptoms.

[Willow]

Apparently JoAnn had a slight stoke [ TIA ?] a short while back. Doctors are not quite sure. She has trouble with stairs, she was falling on them quite a bit. She is very slow walking or doing anything anymore and she can't write anymore.  She had no symptoms.

TIA normally shows symptoms.  I've experienced two.  It tends to not leave the tracks of a full stroke so after testing, since the symptoms look like some of those from a stroke, the doctor will generally say, "It must've been a TIA."

With the residual impact my guess is there is something going on other than a TIA but I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn last night.

I was noticeably mean after the TIAs but then I've always been mean.    

[Valkorado]

I was noticeably mean after the TIAs but then I've always been mean.    

You might think so, but I've heard you're just a teddy bear.   

[f6gal]

I don’t know for certain if it’s still protocol for a stroke, but my wife use to carry low dose dissolvable aspirin for just in case situations with her parents.

Taking aspirin is NOT advised during a stroke (until after a brain scan is completed).  Not all stokes are ischemic (blood clots).  If someone is having a hemorrhagic stroke (brain bleed), aspirin is likely to make the bleeding significantly worse. 

After I read your response I asked Barbara about her parents (both have passed now…mom 4 yrs and dad almost 2 ) and she carried the aspirin because they both had existing heart conditions. She hadn’t heard of the *change* either, which seems to have switched around 2020 but maybe it’s been longer.

We’ve both been under the impression it was a best case scenario for low dose aspirin in the event of an emergency with signs of a stroke. Now apparently it’s only for those with a diagnosed heart condition.

Thanks for clarifying, appreciate it.

Absolutely!  Anyone with an existing heart condition should carry ASA, it is an easy first line treatment for an MI (chew the ASA, don't swallow).  They should also carry nitro.

It's been quite some time since ASA was recommended for acute stroke (before having a brain scan). 

[cookiedough]

3 nights ago 4 a.m. ambulance outside my house was neighbors wife age 64 overweight not very active anymore retired age 62 not doing much physical exercise anymore.   She spend 2 days in hospital and they cannot find a thing wrong with her or what caused this.  Her husband told us today she back home normal apparently but scared might happen again.  She at night woke up only one side of arm and chest in pain then passed out for 1 hour pretty much unconscious thus husband called 911 ASAP.  She was out for 1 hour or so until ambulance hauled her away 5 a.m. in the morning to ER.  Husband thought she was gone in that 1 hour laying on floor not moving, etc. 

So, why cannot drs. find a thing that caused this possibly running all kinds of tests? 

[Patrick]

3 nights ago 4 a.m. ambulance outside my house was neighbors wife age 64 overweight not very active anymore retired age 62 not doing much physical exercise anymore.   She spend 2 days in hospital and they cannot find a thing wrong with her or what caused this.  Her husband told us today she back home normal apparently but scared might happen again.  She at night woke up only one side of arm and chest in pain then passed out for 1 hour pretty much unconscious thus husband called 911 ASAP.  She was out for 1 hour or so until ambulance hauled her away 5 a.m. in the morning to ER.  Husband thought she was gone in that 1 hour laying on floor not moving, etc. 

So, why cannot drs. find a thing that caused this possibly running all kinds of tests? 

With what I've been thru the past 8 years, I have little faith in doctors. I treat them accordingly. [ I love nurses though]. It seems hard to find a doctor that actually went to school to study medicine.

[jdp]

If anyone in your family had a stroke the family needs to get an MRA because it’s hereditary, my daughter was getting vertigo and just by mistake they found an aneurysm that is very small and there keeping an eye on it but the family needed to get checked out because my mother had a stroke and the doctors said it’s hereditary so when I went they found 2 getting ready to explode, I went to John Hopkins and university of Maryland and they put a stent in my brain and I’m good to go, so if any family member has had a stroke please go get checked

[Jersey mike]

3 nights ago 4 a.m. ambulance outside my house was neighbors wife age 64 overweight not very active anymore retired age 62 not doing much physical exercise anymore.   She spend 2 days in hospital and they cannot find a thing wrong with her or what caused this.  Her husband told us today she back home normal apparently but scared might happen again.  She at night woke up only one side of arm and chest in pain then passed out for 1 hour pretty much unconscious thus husband called 911 ASAP.  She was out for 1 hour or so until ambulance hauled her away 5 a.m. in the morning to ER.  Husband thought she was gone in that 1 hour laying on floor not moving, etc. 

So, why cannot drs. find a thing that caused this possibly running all kinds of tests? 

With what I've been thru the past 8 years, I have little faith in doctors. I treat them accordingly. [ I love nurses though]. It seems hard to find a doctor that actually went to school to study medicine.

Nurses are awesome. They’re the Guardian Angels of the medical field. I think I’ve told this story before, but a few years back my father-in-law was in the hospital. With his Alzheimer’s he was a problem patient. He was up to all kinds of antics and a couple involved hospital security. He pulled pullled out his catheter, tried a couple escape attempts and was horrendous to most of the staff and they were just great but one could see they were frustrated with his crap but they handled it all perfectly and professionally.

Before he was discharged I was in the lobby thinking of bringing up coffee and donuts for the staff but I saw small angel pins on display, so I bought about 6 or so and gave them to the nurses as a thank you for all they did. I told them it wasn’t a religious thing, just how I saw them…as angels.

[Patrick]

3 nights ago 4 a.m. ambulance outside my house was neighbors wife age 64 overweight not very active anymore retired age 62 not doing much physical exercise anymore.   She spend 2 days in hospital and they cannot find a thing wrong with her or what caused this.  Her husband told us today she back home normal apparently but scared might happen again.  She at night woke up only one side of arm and chest in pain then passed out for 1 hour pretty much unconscious thus husband called 911 ASAP.  She was out for 1 hour or so until ambulance hauled her away 5 a.m. in the morning to ER.  Husband thought she was gone in that 1 hour laying on floor not moving, etc. 

So, why cannot drs. find a thing that caused this possibly running all kinds of tests? 

With what I've been thru the past 8 years, I have little faith in doctors. I treat them accordingly. [ I love nurses though]. It seems hard to find a doctor that actually went to school to study medicine.

Nurses are awesome. They’re the Guardian Angels of the medical field. I think I’ve told this story before, but a few years back my father-in-law was in the hospital. With his Alzheimer’s he was a problem patient. He was up to all kinds of antics and a couple involved hospital security. He pulled pullled out his catheter, tried a couple escape attempts and was horrendous to most of the staff and they were just great but one could see they were frustrated with his crap but they handled it all perfectly and professionally.

Before he was discharged I was in the lobby thinking of bringing up coffee and donuts for the staff but I saw small angel pins on display, so I bought about 6 or so and gave them to the nurses as a thank you for all they did. I told them it wasn’t a religious thing, just how I saw them…as angels.

    Nice thing to do !

[Willow]

... I told them it wasn’t a religious thing, just how I saw them…as angels.   

Angels?  But not a religious thing?  I'm not certain how that processes.   

I was asked by my wife when I was spending some time in critical care why I seemed to like nurses but not so much the doctors.  I told her that doctors are busily scheduled and they come in with a single agenda.  That agenda is to inform you of their "proper" process for progress, hear your rapid acceptance, and move on to the next patient.  Nurses however, from my experience, took time, listened, cared about what I wanted, and did what they could to meet my needs.

I do think dedicated nurses tend to be the angels of the healthcare industry and that is based loosely upon a religious model.

I love nurses in general.  I tend to like what doctors (medical physicians) are able to do.

[Jess from VA]

I loved one of my nurses so much I married her.   

(Not that I had had many nurses, biblically or otherwise).   

The story she told that affected me, was how many old, sick people she had for patients whose family came to see them at first, but stopped coming when they lingered long.  She was a wonderful, caring gentle person and she became a surrogate daughter to many.   

I could not do that work. 

[Jersey mike]

... I told them it wasn’t a religious thing, just how I saw them…as angels.   

Angels?  But not a religious thing?  I'm not certain how that processes.   

I was asked by my wife when I was spending some time in critical care why I seemed to like nurses but not so much the doctors.  I told her that doctors are busily scheduled and they come in with a single agenda.  That agenda is to inform you of their "proper" process for progress, hear your rapid acceptance, and move on to the next patient.  Nurses however, from my experience, took time, listened, cared about what I wanted, and did what they could to meet my needs.

I do think dedicated nurses tend to be the angels of the healthcare industry and that is based loosely upon a religious model.

I love nurses in general.  I tend to like what doctors (medical physicians) are able to do.

Yeah I guess that didn’t come out right. I wasn’t looking to open a religious dialogue with them. It was just a token of my appreciation for their hard work and talents.