Monday Morning Musing: Stroke Symptoms

 Instead of my usual “musing” I’m offering some important information. Last week, my friend author Elizabeth Meyette posted life-saving advice on her blog, Are You Prepared For A Medical Emergency?

Her post reminded me of what happened to my husband and what I learned from it. Elizabeth’s husband survived a heart attack thanks to her quick thinking. Mine had a stroke, twice. I wrote about the first time on the Paranormal Romantics blog. At that time, I used the acronym FAST to recognize the symptoms. Before I commented on Elizabeth’s post, I googled FAST to make sure I had the explanation correct. To my surprise, I found Beaumont Hospital’s From FAST to FASTER. That new acronym is so much better and would’ve helped me recognize the symptom for Hubs' second stroke.

 

F – Face

A – Arms

S – Stability

T – Talking

E – Eyes

R – React

With Hubs’ first stroke, he began speaking strangely. His words were clear, not slurred, but they made no sense. After asking what he meant, his response again made no sense. I remembered FAST (then the "S" meant Speech) and drove him to the ER.

Mistake #1. In an emergency, and that was one, I should have called 911. A lot could’ve happened in the 15 minute drive to the hospital. The EMTs are better equipped to handle any emergency en route.

A stroke happens when a blot clot blocks oxygen to the brain. I was able to get Hubs' to the ER in time for medicine that dissolves the blot clot in the brain to prevent worse damage.

The second stroke didn’t present the symptoms listed in FAST but did in FASTER. His left leg gave out. He couldn’t put any weight on it. He’d been weak and had fallen before. STABILITY. Had I known FASTER, I would’ve called 911 immediately. I didn’t even take him to Emergency until the next day. Big mistake.

Hubs was fortunate not to experience long-lasting effects from either stroke. Now, I know what to look for. Here’s a further explanation of FASTER.

FACE: drooping or numbness on one side. Ask the person to smile. That will make the droop more evident.

 

ARMS: one arm is weaker. Ask the person to raise their arms and hold for the count of ten. If one falls or begins to drop, that could be the sign of a stroke.

 

STABILITY: lack of balance, falling, inability to walk without help, lack of coordination.

 

TALKING: garbled or slurred speech, nonsensical words, inability to understand or respond properly. Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “The sky is blue.”

 

EYES: visual changes, loss of vision in one eye, double vision, partial or complete loss of vision in one or both eyes.

 

REACT: This is the reminder to call 911. IMMEDIATELY. Time is of the essence. Call even if the symptoms go away. Remember (write down) the time the symptoms started.

 

Don’t be afraid to call 911. Call even if the person tells you not to. Or they don’t want to bother the emergency people. Call. Don’t worry that you’ll forget your address. Your smart cell phone identifies your location.

 

I hope this post will help anyone in similar situations.