[Healeys] SIGNS OF A STROKE

[Mike Carpenter]

A friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I
agree. Seriously.. Please read:
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone
that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a
brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new
plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying
herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling
everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00pm , Ingrid
passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to
identify the signs of a stroke, perha ps Ingrid would be with us today. Some
don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.


It only takes a minute to read this...
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can
totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was
getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically
cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.



RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the
lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain
damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple
questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE(Coherently) (i.e. It is
sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.


NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their
tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other
that is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with
ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately !! and describe the
symptoms to the dispatcher.



A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people;
you can bet that at least one life will be saved.