Thursday, September 10, 2009

He never ceases to amaze me!

I talked to Katie today and she said my dad is now able to get in and out of his wheel chair all by himself - it's been just over a month since my last visit and he wasn't even close to being able to do this at the end of July. Wow. She also said he looks forward to going for walks every day now - sometimes on his own, sometimes with the walker, and sometimes he likes to take an easy ride in the chair.

I'm just awed by the progress he has made - man, those doctors really never know do they? If you only knew the prognosis they gave us after the stroke - it was grim. My dad has always been a very determined person and a hard worker and I guess those are good traits for recovery.

I will be visiting again soon - October 2nd and 3rd. Can't wait. It's hard to be away. Dad's getting new visitors as well as old - I heard Jimmy Alberts was there, haven't seen him in years!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Some information on identifying a stroke

It is important to recognize stroke symptoms and act quickly.

Common stroke symptoms seen in both men and women:

  • Sudden numbness or weakness of 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

Women may report unique stroke symptoms:

  • sudden face and limb pain
  • sudden hiccups
  • sudden nausea
  • sudden general weakness
  • sudden chest pain
  • sudden shortness of breath
  • audden palpitations

Stroke is an Emergency: F.A.S.T. Action Saves Lives

A new National Stroke Association study shows most Americans do not treat stroke as an emergency. When a stroke -- or brain attack -- first hits, many people don't even recognize the symptoms and do not immediately call 9-1-1. In fact, a recent National Stroke Association survey reports 1 in 3 Americans cannot name a single symptom a person might experience while having a stroke.


Every minute counts for stroke patients and acting F.A.S.T. can lead patients to the stroke treatments they desperately need. The most effective stroke treatments are only available if the stroke is recognized and diagnosed within the first three hours of the first symptoms. Actually, many Americans are not aware that stroke patients may not be eligible for stroke treatments if they arrive at the hospital after the three-hour window.

Use the following tool to help you recognize stroke symptoms and act F.A.S.T.:

FACE

  • Ask the person to smile.Does one side of the face droop?

ARMS

  • Ask the person to raise both arms.Does one arm drift downward?

SPEECH

  • Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence.Are the words slurred? Can he/she repeat the sentence correctly?

TIME

  • If the person shows any of these symptoms, time is important. Call 911 or get to the hospital fast. Brain cells are dying.


“Understanding the warning signs is important because there are treatments we can give for stroke. If you understand the warning signs and get to the hospital quickly we can even possibly reverse the stroke itself,” says Dr. Dawn Kleindorfer, assistant professor of neurology at University of Cincinnati School of Medicine.

http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=WOMSYMP