When the opportunity arises

Source

I now know that back in September I did not have a stroke. It was my doctor who ultimately confirmed that my terrifying ocular episode was not the result of a stroke, but during those first frightful moments it was my knowledge of the warning signs for stroke that gave us a clue to what was NOT happening.
Last night I attended an amazing lecture by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, author of the book "My Stroke of Insight."  The discussion focused on neuroanatomy and the lessons Dr. Bolte Taylor learned about her own journey following a debilitating stroke.  She also outlined some key identifiers of a stroke, which if you have been reading my blog, you will recognize as alarming parallels to my experience.  Dr. Bolte Taylor used the clever acronym as follows:
S - Speech - inability or impairment of speech
T-Tingling of extremities
R-Remember - inability
O- Off balance
K- Killer headache
E-Eyes-vision problems

Are you seeing what I saw last night? At the time of that early morning scare I was suffering from three of the six stroke symptoms.
Why I confused my experience with a stroke is not the theme for this blog.  Actually, last night I realized that my knowledge of simple ways to identify a stroke helped to make a quick assessment of my health and possibly save my life.  Seeing as I have a blog and possibly a captive audience, I feel presented with the opportunity to pay it forward.  After all someone taught me what I know today and it did save my life in a manner of speaking.
At the top of this page you will see the three things to ask someone to do if you suspect that they are suffering from a stroke.
1. Ask them to smile ~ if someone is having a stoke they may only be able to lift one side of their mouth or you may see a pronounced paralysis on one side of their face.
2. Ask them to repeat a simple sentence like: "The black cat crossed the slippery street." Someone suffering from a stoke will have difficulty repeating or remembering the sentence.
3. Finally, ask them to raise their arms in front of them, if they cannot or their arms quickly begin to fall back down then they could be suffering from a stroke.
If you suspect someone is having a stroke every minute counts, get the person to the nearest emergency room or call an ambulance.
My journey to diagnosis is only beginning but when I needed it, the little knowledge I had helped us to assess the seriousness of a significant event in my health.  I hope I never have to make use of this quick assessment tool again, but I am glad to have it at my finger tips, just in case.