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Stroke Awareness
updated: Aug 20, 2011, 10:00 AM
By David Powdrell
So here's the deal….I met with a 38-year-old stroke survivor last week; a super bright, athletic guy that works as a scientist. Having a stroke was the last thing on his mind that fateful morning. He's got limited use of the right side of his body now but I'm convinced that he's going to make a good recovery; he's young, athletic, has a great support team and is determined to do the crazy amount of work it takes in rehabilitation.
He's among the hundreds, maybe thousands, of stroke survivors I've met with in the last 7 years. I fell into this volunteer gig in 2004 after my own stroke. Now I'm passionate about bringing stroke awareness to whoever will listen.
Stay with me now; I promise I'll be brief. I hate public service announcements, too, but this is important, unfiltered stuff and it's coming straight from the horse's mouth.
80% of strokes are preventable. That statistic floors me every time I write it down. 795,000 people will have a stroke this year. These are the projections of both the National Stroke Association and Center for Disease Control and Prevention. If 80% are preventable, then 636,000 people don't have to have a stroke this year. And trust me; having a stroke is an expensive ride.
How can you prevent a stroke? Know your blood pressure. Anytime you're in one of the local drug stores that have the blood pressure machines, saddle up and check your numbers. I do it every time I see the machine. It's easy, takes about a minute and it's a free ride. If you're with friends and family, make it a game…highest blood pressure buys cough drops or band aids.
Quit smoking, exercise, keep an eye on your cholesterol, watch for diabetes and limit your alcohol use. Check in with the doc from time to time and make it a regular thing; like having the oil changed on your car.
The warning signs are pretty simple. Think of the acronym FAST. If one side of your face droops slightly when you smile, that's a warning sign. Hold both arms out away from your body. If one droops, that's a sign that you might be having a stroke. Speech; if your speech is slurred or strange, you might be having a stroke. Finally time; if you or a loved one is having any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately. It's imperative to get to an emergency room doctor ASAP.
Every stroke is different and every survivor is different, but while at Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital I vowed to push myself as hard and as long as I could each day. I spent as much time in their super warm therapeutic pool as possible. By 5:00 p.m. each afternoon, I was absolutely and totally exhausted. Clearly, the weeks I was a patient there were the toughest workouts of my life.
I hope you and your loved ones never experience a stroke. Maybe, just maybe, this post will help reduce that 80% figure, one person at a time.
For more information, check out http://www.stroke.org/site/PageNavigator/HOME or http://www.cdc.gov/.
Thanks for bearing with me. Now for a few photos to celebrate the magic of life….
Send this picture as a postcard
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