It’s hard to believe that it has nearly been a year since my mother suffered from a deadly stroke. The irony is that it occurred during May, National Stroke Awareness Month. Unfortunately, my family became aware of the signs of a stroke too late. Had I had the blog then, I surely would have posted this then. Without further adieu then and in honor of my mother, below you will find the signs that someone has suffered a stroke. It’s a as easy as the first three letters:S, T, R. Please forward this information to everyone you know. It will undoubtedly fall into the right hands at the right time.

Remember too that the person who has suffered the stroke (the first sign can be as small as a stumble or dropping something because he or she cannot keep a grasp) will probably try to convince you that he or she is fine. Ask the three questions anyway!! The first hours after someone has suffered a stroke are precious and can mean the difference between a serious disability or even death. Thanks to my friend and fellow CMT Lynne Childers for the forward. Read on…

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
Thank God for the sense to remember S . .T . . .R . Read and
Learn! 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.


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