Did you know that tomorrow, October 29, 2017 is World Stroke Day? I’ve partnered with Medtronic and Influence Central to help educate?and answer: what are the signs of stroke? As always, opinions are my own.
Stroke is more common than you might think and each year, a shocking 17 million people suffer from a stroke across the world! 5 million people who have a stroke become permanently disabled and another 6 million people actually die from stroke!
My dad was one of those 6 million. His stroke 6 years ago was what landed him in the hospital and due to that and other complications, ultimately cost him his life. His brain was never able to bounce back from that last stroke in the hospital and as a family, we had to make the toughest decision in the world. To this day, it still hurts like crazy that he’s gone and even as I type this, the tears are flowing. But I’m sharing my story so that you can hopefully save someone you love and won’t have to suffer the heartache of your loved one becoming one of the 6 million who die.
What are the Signs of Stroke?
Time lost is brain lost when it comes to stroke and ‘FAST” stands for the warning signs, as a way to help you remember what the signs of stroke are.
F Face drooping
A Arm weakness
S Speech difficulty
T Time to call 911
Stroke doesn’t care what gender, age or race you are and it affects people all across the world. Women are actually at higher risk for stroke than men and I happen to have a friend who suffered from a stroke at just 35 years old. So it really is important to know the warning signs and take immediate action if you think you or someone that you know has had a stroke.
Raising awareness of stroke and its impact on the lives of everyone it affects is important and that’s why Medtronic and the World Stroke Organization (WSO) have partnered to encourage people to “Take 2 Tell 2“. Take 2 minutes to learn about the signs of stroke, which you’ve already done if you’ve read this post, and then tell 2 people about those signs so that they are aware.
It is absolutely critical to get someone medical care during a stroke and quick care can help lead to a complete recovery. This “Take 2 Tell 2” campaign was designed to show what an impact 2 minutes really has in saving a life and Medtronicis is committed to bringing effective stroke treatments to patients who need it most.
Is someone you know has suffered a stroke, you may have all sorts of strong emotions going on right now. Talking to a professional may help, so click here to find a therapist near you.