Stroke

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Stroke

Postby PKCSPT » Wed Aug 20, 2014 9:39 am

So about a month ago my mom had a stroke. Boy these things are sneaky. Turns out she has had a few that went unnoticed by her. I went to check on her and found her on the floor. Thankfully as I keep close tabs on her she only spent the night on the floor and not days. (yes she has the help button but won't wear it)
She was fine but sore, sent her in 911 and a few hours later they sent her home. She was perfectly fine, and as she went down as she came on off her patio assumed she must have tripped. Not one hour later I had 911 back only this time it was obvious, stroke.
Thank God and angels it was minor and hopefully fingers crossed she will be back home and better than before.
Turns out she has had several strokes, there is a clot in her neck artery but in a really bad place to operate and has a greater risk of breaking loose and causing more problems. So for now we are going with dissolving drugs with a review next week.

We will be placing a good old fashioned type phone on a very low shelf so she can roll to it if she forgets to put her help button on. I am thinking of having it surgically attached.

So be careful one and all, we always hear about stroke symptoms but sometimes they are just not noticeable.
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Re: Stroke

Postby Mary C » Wed Aug 20, 2014 10:29 am

Oh Karen I am so glad you were there for her, Our medical system and diagnosis and treatment has come so far, I will be praying for her. What is her first name I will add her to our prayer group.

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Re: Stroke

Postby Bigwoods » Wed Aug 20, 2014 10:47 am

Karen,

My wife had a stroke 4 years ago. After the fact we realized she had had several mini strokes before, but we did not address those symptoms thinking she was just tired. Fortunately I did recognized what was happening when the major stroke occurred as we has just reviewed that in the office I where was working.

She has recovered for the most part. Totally blocked on one side and has had a stent put in the other side. In fact we had her semi annual ultrasound yesterday and she got a good report.

She has weakness on one side and some memory problems but I sure can't get away with anything that she does not notice.

That being said, I hope you Mom has a good physician and will follow their directions to avoid any more episodes. The meds and monitoring certainly help prevent further damage. We will keep her in our prayers.

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Re: Stroke

Postby PKCSPT » Wed Aug 20, 2014 12:17 pm

Mary , her name is Lorrain. Thank you.
Bigwoods, glad to hear your mom has recovered so well. Hoping to get her home by this weekend but she lives alone so we will be arrainging for services and family stopping in several times a day. I will likely be moving in with her for a few days just to make the transition.
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Re: Stroke

Postby S. Heisley » Wed Aug 20, 2014 8:54 pm

It's good that your mom can count on you, Karen. You probably saved her life. :thumbsup:
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Re: Stroke

Postby deleted » Thu Aug 21, 2014 9:04 pm

Very sorry to hear about your mom's strokes but glad you were there to save her. Also, just a thought, if you aren't able to have someone there with her 24/7 would it be possible to put a few video cameras around her place (kitchen, living room, hallway) that you can watch remotely on a smart phone or monitor? That way you could see if she's following her normal routine throughout the day without having to call or be there :thinking:
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Re: Stroke

Postby PKCSPT » Thu Aug 21, 2014 9:11 pm

Hmmmmm,, not real high tech. Hadn't thought of the camera idea.
Gonna have to look into it, that is a great idea.
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Re: Stroke

Postby jstrubberg » Fri Aug 22, 2014 8:05 am

Would a simple cell phone with speed dial be an option over putting a phone down low? If you can get her to carry it, she wouldn't have to try and move to the phone if something happened.
The more stuff I take along, the more time I spend taking care of my stuff!
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Re: Stroke

Postby PKCSPT » Sat Aug 23, 2014 3:10 am

She has a cell phone, has for years. She dusts it off now and again.
Its a prepay Tracfone with a couple thousand minutes since she never uses it just renews it every year.

Oh well,

Mostly I just posted this to remind everyone these things are sneaky and silent. Very sneaky and silent.
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Re: Stroke

Postby ctstaas » Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:25 pm

Hi Sorry to hear about your Mom but knowing is a major blessing. I broke my leg a while back and the pain med (Tramadol) caused a seretonin toxicity for me. The happy pills made it hard to tell how sick they were making me. This has produced parkinsons disease type symptoms for me and two weeks ago I could barely walk. I found an online exercise program called elder gym and it has been a miracle for me and it is free. Simple, no equipment to buy, fun, progressive and self motivated. I am only on exercise two of twelve but can walk again after one week. Not steady or fast but one is better then zero.The motto of the program is practice makes permanent. Combined with Sharon's "I think I can, I think I can" a winning attitude. Doug Schrif, a physical therapist, designed the program and obviously cares more for people than money and we could all use a little more of that. I hope it can help others.
Enjoy, Chris
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Re: Stroke

Postby Jack J » Mon Sep 01, 2014 7:50 pm

Yes, they can be sneaky. As a recovered stroke victim from a carotid artery blockage, here is some information that can be helpful. Mine snuck up on me, it wasn't the classic signs of a stroke but was a slow onset of the symptoms over several days. What really woke me up to what was happening was when I couldn't grasp with my right hand. Called 911, medics came, took me to the hospital and in that 1/2 hr, I couldn't move my right side or speak. I could hear what was going on but not respond verbally. I heard the ER doc say it was too late I should have come in sooner but also heard my wife say to the doc in a manner that got the ball rolling that I had walked to the Aid Car 10 minutes before arriving to the hospital. Had a good neurosurgeon and with in a week went home. I give thanks to my wife, and all involved.
You might have heard this before but it is still a good reminder. Think of the word F.A.S.T.
F--facial droop, one side drooping
A--arm drift, hold the persons arms out and let go, does one arm drop?
S--speech, can the person say a simple phrase?
T--time last normal, does the person appear normal from the last time they were seen?

I hope this helps someone in the future. Remember, "time is brain"

Jack
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