Luckily, I have no apparent lasting effects from the attack, and I had successful surgery on Wednesday to clean out a carotid artery that was more than 95% blocked, thus cutting off oxygen to my brain. (Which may explain a lot of my inherent weirdness.)
It continues to be wonderful to live among caring people.
-- Bill Dowd
WARNING SIGNS OF STROKE
• From strokeassociation.org
The first four most common signs, forming the acronym F.A.S.T., are --
Face Drooping –- Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person's smile uneven?
Arm Weakness –- Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
Speech Difficulty –- Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like "The sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly?
Time to call 9-1-1 -– If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared.
Beyond F.A.S.T.
Sudden numbness or weakness of the leg, arm or face.
Sudden confusion or trouble understanding.
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
If someone shows any of these symptoms, immediately call 9-1-1 or emergency medical services. F.A.S.T. is an easy way to remember the sudden signs and symptoms of stroke.
More information on stroke prevention and recognition is available online.