Did you know you were having a stroke?


Dboudrea24

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THIS THE FIRST TIME I EVER WROTE SO THIS IS TOUGH.

 

I WORKED WIERD TIMES SO WHEN I HAD MY STROKE AT 3AM MY ALARM WENT OFF I FELT LIKE I WAS GOIN TO HAVE A BAD HEADACHE.AND FELL BACK ON MY BED. I COULD NOT TALK OR DO ANYTHING SO LUCKY ME MY MOM WOKE UP AND CAME IN TO MY ROOM TO TELL ME TO GET UP SHE FOUND ME THERE AND CALLED 911. I WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL. I WAS NOT ABLE TO TELL WHAT HAPPEN FOR TWO DAYS DOCTORS TOLD HER I WAS GOING TO DIE BECAUSE THERE WAS ON DOCTOR ON DUTY THAT KNEW WHAT TO DO . MY MOM SAID WHAT EVER YOU CAN DO TO KEEP ME ALIVE . HAD AOT OF PRAYERS AND I AM HERE TO SAY THANK GOD.

I SHOULD TELL YOU THAT I AM 48 AN I HAD NO CLUE I HAD LOTS OF TELL TALE SIGNS. I WAS HAVING HEADACHES AND NOSE BLEEDS. I WAS GOING TO DOCTOR FOR BOTH BUT DOCTOR TOLD ME A FIX FOR NOSE BLEEDS AND TO CUT MY STRESS AND HEADACHES WOULD GO AWAY.. THIS WAS FOR TWO YEARS,.DOCTOR WAS NO HELP. I THEN HAD THE STROKE I TOLD YOU ABOUT.THAT WAS ON JAN 21 2008. HOPE THIS HELPS.

JOANN

 

 

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David,

I have had several brain stem strokes. I don,t know if that is what you are interested in. I had a period lasting sveral hours (my mom happened to be here) and she said I was talking jibberish, didn't know where I waas and didn't know her. She called my husband home from work but by the time he got here I was in a fog but I knew him. We didn't call my neurologist. I have had a little remembering things after then. Then I had a big one over a weekend when my husband was home with the same symptoms. He called my Dr and he said get to the ER and he would meet me there. The ER doc said I was having a stroke. i had no memory of all that. My memory got worse and I have trouble both with long term and short term memory now. The MRI showed no Altheimers or degeration disease. Later the doc compared all of the MRI,s I have had done over the last few years and said there was no way to know how many I have had b ut there several. Since then, when I was in bed all of a sudden I didn't know where I was, who I sleeping next to, but it didn' last long so I didn't last long so I didn't wake my husband or call the doc. That was a couple of weeks ago. I am female, age 57. After the last one, I am using a walker. I hope this is of help. We didn't call 911 because I live close to the hospital.

Good luck

Jenny Kremer

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1. How did you recognize that you might be having a stroke or that something wasn't normal?

I had no clue at first...thought I was just sick. I threw up and went a fell asleep for a while only to wake up knowing I was going to be sick again. When I went to go to the bathroom it felt as though someone had lifted the room up on end and then sideways. I flew through the hallway and stopped when I hit the closet door head first. I crawled to the bathroom, was sick and laid there for what seemed like an hour. Eventually I crawled back out to the living room with the dog right behind me. My head was pounding...I just wanted to sleep it off.

 

2. Did you make excuses for the symptom? For example, it must be my arthritis acting up or I must have slept on my arm funny. Of course lol. I had had 2 1/2 wine coolers after work and I never was much of a drinker. I thought they just didn't agree with me, which is why I thought I was throwing up. And the headache at first I though was a hangover and then I thought I could just be dehydrated from all the throwing up.

 

3. Did you think it would go away? Absolutely. It happened late Friday night-very early Saturday morning. I slept the majority of Saturday hoping my head would stop pounding and slept all night Saturday night. I ended up calling my parents on Sunday morning to take me to the ER just so that I could maybe get an IV for the 'dehydration' and something for the pain cause my head was killing me.

 

4. In retrospect, if you knew more about stroke symptoms, would you have been able to recognize your first symptom? I'm not sure about that. There's not a lot of advertising about strokes..I thought stroke was something that only happened to 'older' people. You can learn a lot about different types of alcohol when you're watching tv...but nothing about strokes. At 33 years old I thought I was too young, thought I was just hungover.

 

5. Were you afraid to activate 911? If so, why? I wasn't going to call 911 for a headache.

 

6. If there was a way to measure your symptom, would it help you feel more confident in calling 911? If I had listened to my dog...he stayed by my side the entire time. Saturday afternoon when I got up off the couch and decided to go to my room he followed and wouldn't leave. My son had to bring his food and water into my room cause he wouldn't leave at all. I guess I should have listened to him...

 

7. Is there anything you wish would have been available to help you when you were first having the stroke? I don't even know. When I went to the ER they did a CT scan which showed I'd had a series of small strokes. After they transported me via mobile ICU and I had an MRI done it showed that I'd had a major cerebellar stroke. My doctor said that had I gone earlier than I had they probably would have just given me something for the pain and sent me home anyway

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

. How did you recognize that you might be having a stroke or that something wasn't normal?I was sitting at the computer just as I am now.My adult son called me for supper in the room next to the computer room. I almost fell when I got up to go to supper. My son who is trained as an emt noticed something wrong. He thought that my sugar was high and that was the problem.. Did you make excuses for the symptom? For example, it must be my arthritis acting up or I must have slept on my arm . No I made no excuses. I wasn't sure right away since upon checking my sugar was over 200.3. Did you think it would go away? After a period of time I realized the symptoms were consistent with a stroke. My son was thinking that it would go away. I remember remarking to him that I hadn't felt this way since I had a TIA in 2001.4. In retrospect, if you knew more about stroke symptoms, would you have been able to recognize your first symptom? No, my problem was leaving it up to my son who I though knew better. It was more than an hour before he called EMS.5. Were you afraid to activate 911? No , once I realized it was a stroke I was happy to have them called.6. If there was a way to measure your symptom, would it help you feel more confident in calling 911?My problem was leaving it up to someone else to decid instead of following my gut instinct.7. Is there anything you wish would have been available to help you when you were first having the stroke? Not really

I should have trusted my instincts right away.

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1. I was doing occupation research on-line, on the week end, I was relaxed and feeling well. I closed my research and my right arm went instantly numb, like it wasn't even there. My right arm was weak and the numbness lasted for at least 20 minutes. I convinced myself that this symptom was a pinched nerve even though a stroke was the first thing that came to mind. I became very tired and took a short nap ( 15 minutes ) , got up to get something to drink, my arm was very week and shaking so I thought more rest would be best. I slept for a short time then woke up to join my wife and daughter in the kitchen. When I started talking to my daughter I sounded weird to them and myself, we were laughing because every time I tried to speak I just made weird sounds. It was impossible for me to say " I think I had a stroke". I didn't know what to do. My daughter said ' I think dad is having a stroke' to my wife. Then they took me to the hospital.

 

2. I ignored the first symptom because I was very healthy and thought I was too young to have a stroke.

 

3.I thought the numbness and weakness in my arm was a freak thing and would go away. When I wasn't able to speak... I couldn't ignore that.

 

4. No. Being a mechanic, bruises, cuts, scrapes, bumps, stress are part of the job.

 

5. At that time I was not able to really know what was going on. I was having a difficult time understanding what was being said to me and it is still difficult. Hard to explain.

 

6. No

 

7. I was very healthy. The doctors don't know where the clots came from.

 

My right arm aches and is very weak most of the time and still goes numb occasionally, loss of cordination. My vision has changed - staggered. Right side of my face and head go numb still. Difficult to speak most of the time. I feel like I am getting stung or bitten by an insect alot on the right side of my body frequently. I just don't feel whole anymore.

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DEAR RESEARCHER -

 

I WAS AT HOME WITH A FRIEND. MY RIGHT ARM FELT LIKE IT WAS FALLING ASLEEP. THE FEELING WAS VERY STRONG, I TOLD MY FRIEND, AND HE SAID SOMETHING LIKE "OH, THAT HAPPENS TO ME ALL THE TIME". I GOT UP AND IMMEDIATELY FELL DOWN, SO I SAID "CALL 911 AND TELL THEM I'M HAVING A STROKE". I AM AN RN, THAT MAY HAVE BEEN HOW I KNEW. THERE WAS NO DOUBT, NO PAIN. MY FRIEND IS A DR. AND HE TOLD ME LATER THAT I KNEW BEFORE HE DID WHAT WAS HAPPENING. IT WAS SO IMMEDIATE THAT IT WAS AS IF IT HAD HAPPENED BEFORE.

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  • 3 weeks later...

My experience was a bit different. I had gone to a class reunion. I remember driving home from the reunion, a 4 hour drive on the Pennsylvania turnpike into Virginia. I know the road very well......yet that trip was so alien, very scary and "dark"........I was terrified, like I was in a TUNNEL almost pulled off for my kids to come and "rescue me" and drive me home. I felt like everyone was driving very erratically and I felt very uncomfortable for the entire trip. Something waS NOT RIGHT. The ride home on the interstate I noticed i had trouble reading the left side of thr large road signs, luckily I knew the way. I made it home, went to bed and woke up the next morning with a horrible headache. (ice-pick in the forehead) My boyfriend took me to the ER and they did a CAT Scan and then came and told me it looked like I had a stroke. They transferred me to a hospital and 3 days later finally did an MRI and my neurologist came in and told me (I will never forget) that I had a "BIG BIG stroke." It was a right middle cerebral artery type. In retrospect, there were times when I remember when I MIGHT have had it, and not have :known" I was a mate on a charter fishing boat and had done some really bizarre things like......the captain had asked me to bring up ONE rod to change out and I brought out 10 rods.......just strange things. I forgot how to do simple things that I had known how to do for years, like read a GPS........all retrospective now. I just dont know when it happened. I lost a huge block of vision in the left eye, and a small bit in the right, found by the othhamologist. I think what he said was, "it isn't the EYES, it is the BRAIN" if that makes any sense.

 

 

Did I know I was having a stroke??? I don't think I knew until the doctor at the hospital asked me to try and touch my right and left finger tips together and I had trouble.

 

Also, I noticed that my personality and sense of humor flew out the window!!!!!!!

 

 

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I did not know I was having a stroke. I drove home from my class reunion, a 4 hour drive across the state of PA & down thru VA. The entire trip felt very strange. I felt "hung over" although I was NOT. It felt sort of like driving in a dark tunnel. The car felt strange, like it wasn't the same car, yet it was. It felt like it was alien. It seemed like everyone else was driving strangely. Several times I seriously comsidered calling one of my sons to come and pick me up and "rescue" me. I just thought I was having some kind of anxiety attack, which I had never had!! My lips felt kind of numb.......off and on. I felt a little bit disoriented. I felt a LOT disoriented.........in retrospect. I made it home. A miracle!!!

 

I woke up the next morning with a bad headache. AN "ice pick in the forehead" headache. Drove myself to work, and after a couple of hours, called my boyfriend to take me to the ER. I knew something was not right. My vision was affected. I was in some severe pain. They did a CAT scan and then transferred me to a bigger hospital where I could have an MRI under anesthesia (severe clostrophobia) It took three days for a doctor to do an MRI (I am still somewhat shocked at THAT) and my neurologist came in and told me that I had had a (her words) a BIG BIG stroke. I was lucky to be as well off as I was. I had a middle cerebral artery stroke. Basically the way she explained it to my wounded brain was that my brain bled a lot.

 

What I feel, is that it makes my brain hurt a lot. I feel confused a lot. It is like I am fine......just cruising along.....everything is peachy and then I just go BLANK. I feel like it completely took away my personality. I feel dull and very blah. I used to be happy and funny and exciting and smart. Now...........pretty blank.

 

 

I am trying!!!!!!!!!!! A couple of months and plugging away. Working but NO cooperation on that end!!! They pretty much are impatient, and expect me to be the same as I ever was. Very critical. Ugh!!!!!!!!

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I am trying!!!!!!!!!!! A couple of months and plugging away. Working but NO cooperation on that end!!! They pretty much are impatient, and expect me to be the same as I ever was. Very critical. Ugh!!!!!!!!

 

How true in so many cases. When Deb called my work and explained I had a stroke and was in intensive care, the only response was, "Does that mean he won't be in?"

 

Many friends and co-workers seem to vanish after a stroke. I am not sure why, but I like to think it is because they don't know how to act or what to say, rather than they don't care. Hang in there and realize the people that don't give up on us are far more important (no matter how few or many that might be) than those who refuse to accept the change.

 

After all, I know it took me a year to accept it and I had motivation...I'll give the others I used to work with more time.

 

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Thanks for your reply. I'm still very curious as to why you didn't present when you first started having symptoms. Did you ever think that this could be a sign of stroke? What could have helped you take action sooner? I think it is fascinating that people can be having such a major symptom, but continue doing their daily activity without seeking help.

 

I was only 30 so no I never thought it might be a stroke. I never even considered it might be serious. I went to ER because I was more curious than worried. I wish I had known about stroke, I would probably had gone to ER when it first started,

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1. How did you recognize that you might be having a stroke or that something wasn't normal?

 

Well I had no idea it was a stroke as I was 11, but I remember thinking something wasn't nomal. I was in my local swimming baths and was swimming around the bottom of pool and when reached the surface my whole left side went limp/weak I was being dragged under the water and remember trying to use left side but could not asnd ended up being resuced by pool life guard.

 

2. Did you make excuses for the symptom? For example, it must be my arthritis acting up or I must have slept on my arm funny.

 

Nope I was totaly in the dark as to what was happening

 

3. Did you think it would go away?

 

I secretly and niavely thought that I could better it away hey was 11 did not really know

 

4. In retrospect, if you knew more about stroke symptoms, would you have been able to recognize your first symptom?

 

I cant say it mattered to me given the circumstances that it happened in :wacko:

 

5. Were you afraid to activate 911? If so, why?

 

Nope I knew I needed help and pool gaurd called 911

 

6. If there was a way to measure your symptom, would it help you feel more confident in calling 911?

 

Again I knew some thing serious was happening and that I need urgent medical attention so had no qualms about calling or getting help. In my circumstances there was no way to measure as there is in many onset of strokes.

 

7. Is there anything you wish would have been available to help you when you were first having the stroke?

 

I only wish at the time there was more support for myself and in particular my mum my main carer. Thankfully now stroke is more widely reported happening and forms of support in place when mine happend there was nothing, but now such great things can be found such as this website

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Left arm went slowly numb, left foot hurt every so often. I thought it was carpal tunnel syndrome, literally months went by and , after seeing 3 doctors, none of them knew what it was my wife saw me walking funny, called my family dr, went to the ER. Finally got an MRI. had it looked at..Stroke.

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I was asleep and awoke to the alarm alerting me to the fact that it was 6a.m. and time to get up for work. my son came in to make sure I heard the alarm and I told him to let me sleep 10 minutes more. When he returned I was in a fog and unable to articulate a sentence. In a panic he called 911 and within 30 minutes they arrived. The next four days are a fog, I "awoke" on the late afternoon of that fourth day and was taken on a stretcher to rehab. The first week was a blur, the second was clearer and on the third I developed a deep depression which I am just now starting to come out of. I am four months post stroke and slowly gaining, how much I am going to get back is speculation at this point but I hope it's nearly 100%. Everyday I take a deep breath, carefully stretch my arm, flex my fingers and put my best foot forward allowing the other to slowly catch up. And I'm gaining....

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iI had no idea what was going on. I was sitting at my desk working and needed to reboot my computer. When prompted to tnter my password I could not get my left hand to move onto the keyboard. When it finally wnt to the keyboard I could not press the keys down. I had been in very good physical condition and stroke did not enter my mind. I went to the luinch room to heat up my lunch and began to feel extremely light headed and unstable and knew that something was terribly wrong. I left th lunch room and went to a co workers office. While walking to his office I sensed a warm rush in my head and began to limp. My co worker saw me and knew something was not right as the left side of my face was drooping. He sat me on the floor and called 911 andcontacted the company's nurse prsctioner. I was unaware of stroke warning signs and had I known them would have receieved care 30 minutes earlier. i try not tp beat myself up by wondering if my deficiencies would be less had I acted sooner.

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1. How did you recognize that you might be having a stroke or that something wasn't normal?

my left arm felt heavy like it was asleep, finally was convinced when I couldn't put a nut and bolt together

 

2. Did you make excuses for the symptom?

I figured it was asleep or something and would wake back up.

 

3. Did you think it would go away?

Yes, I thought it would go away, thought it was just asleep for some strange reason. I sent 2-3 emails and a fax...typing was horrible.., even cancelled an appointment with a customer.

 

4. In retrospect, if you knew more about stroke symptoms, would you have been able to recognize your first symptom?

Yes, I would have called 911. I recall looking in the mirror and thinking I looked funny but figured I was just tired. Had I known about the SMILE portion I would hav known right away.

 

5. Were you afraid to activate 911? If so, why?

I didn't want to have to pay for the ambulance ride, (I wasn't earning enough money for extra expenses like an ambulance ride, besides I was 42 and in great shape, nothing was wrong..HA!)

 

6. If there was a way to measure your symptom, would it help you feel more confident in calling 911?

I think the ask the person to smile is sthe best advice out there...since my story has been told, 2 others have been rushed to the hospital while haaving a stroke because they couldn't smile.

 

7. Is there anything you wish would have been available to help you when you were first having the stroke?

I wish i had known aabout the SMILE test. It took my mom and a co-worker about 20 mins to convince me to let my mom take me to the ER (she was going to pay the co-pay) I finally said yes when I couldn't put a nut and bolt together.

 

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