BAY CITY, MI – “I didn’t know anything was wrong with me,” stated Kelly Reinhardt, 39, of Bay City. “My daughter noticed I was acting strange and I was confused, but I didn’t realize it.”
Thankfully Kelly’s daughter knew something was wrong and called family members to check on her mom. Her family didn’t know what was going, but knew Kelly needed help. When EMS arrived, they confirmed that Kelly was having a stroke. Kelly was rushed to the hospital where a brain stent was implanted and 4 weeks later she was able to come home.
“People still say to me, you were so young,” commented Kelly. She was only 38 when she had her stroke a year ago May. “I remember having a horrible headache, but a stroke was the last thing I would have thought was happening.”
Stroke occurs when a blood vessel bringing blood and oxygen to the brain gets blocked or ruptures. When this happens, brain cells don’t get the blood they need. Deprived of oxygen, nerve cells stop working and die within minutes. Then, the part of the body they control can’t function either. The effects of a stroke may be permanent depending on how many brain cells are lost, where they are in the brain, and other factors.
Kelly’s long-term effects include poor memory, poor vision, her voice has changed and she’s constantly fatigued. “My thought process is different these days, but I am physically strong and getting to know the new me.” Kelly said she now makes lists for everything, completes one major task per day, and only drives short distances.
The month of May is American Stroke Month, calling attention to the No. 4 killer of Americans. More than 800,000 Americans will have a stroke this year. Unfortunately, majority of Americans do not recognize the symptoms of stroke and will not call 911.
During a stroke brain cells start to die resulting in debilitating effects on the body. Because timing and speed affects the outcome of a stroke victim, the American Stroke Association has adopted a new way that can help anyone spot a stroke. Remember the acronym FAST:
F – Face drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb?
A – Arm weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S – Speech Difficulty: Is speech slurred, is the person unable to speak or is he hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence like, “the sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?
T – Time to call 911: If the person shows ANY of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get her to the hospital immediately.
Other symptoms might include sudden numbness or weakness of the leg, sudden confusion, trouble seeing in one or both eyes, dizziness or loss of balance, or a sudden severe headache with no known cause.
The good news is that stroke is largely preventable. You can reduce your risk by living a healthy lifestyle – controlling high blood pressure, not smoking, eating a healthy diet, being physically active and maintaining a healthy body weight.
Kelly wants people to know that calling emergency responders is the most important thing you can do for someone who is experiencing a stroke. “Don’t be afraid to call 911, it saved my life. Had my family hesitated, I may not be here today.”
Thanks to organizations like the American Stroke Association and the Federal Drug Administration, new procedures and drugs are available to combat stroke. There are clot-dissolving drugs that can be administered to reduce the effects of a stroke. But a stroke patient needs those drugs within four hours of the onset of symptoms. So learn the FAST signs and don’t hesitate to call 911 because time lost is brain lost.
For more information on the warning signs of stroke, stroke prevention and life after a stroke, log on to www.strokeassociation.org
This was printed in the May 5, 2013 – May 18, 2013 Edition
