We had a huge scare last Friday morning. My husband, who just turned 58, had a stroke.
I waited 5 1/2 hours before seeking medical treatment. I thought it was "just" another instance of episodic high blood pressure, and it could wait until the VA clinic opened.
Now I know that he had 4 of the 5 warning signs of a stoke. We are lucky that it appears to have been a "minor" stroke. The doctor told me if it ever happened again, he needed to be taken to a hospital within the hour, to prevent permanent and extended damage.
Knowledge is power. Be prepared! The following information comes from the National Stroke Association website (www.strokeassociation.org)
Stroke is a medical emergency.
Know these warning signs of stroke and teach them to others.
Every second counts:
Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
Call 9-1-1 immediately if you experience symptoms!
Time lost is brain lost!
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About Me
- Susan
- I was born in the Redwood Country of Northern California. An honor student in high school, I turned down a full tuition scholarship to Humboldt State University to marry at age seventeen and go on to have three children in the next five years. I’ve never forgotten that starry-eyed girl who dreamed of becoming a newspaper journalist. I settled for an AA in Sociology and a minor in Business from College of the Redwoods and eventually found a career in telecom. Starting as a telephone operator and working my way up to a management position in purchasing with a large independent telephone company, I assumed I would work there until I retired or was found slumped over dead in my office chair. Life, however, often takes you on paths you never dreamed you’d travel. My husband had a stroke in 2005 and we found ourselves becoming a multi-generational family, moving 160 miles away and in with our younger son, his wife and two grandchildren.