Stroke – or blockage or rupture of blood vessels in the brain – is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. It kills an estimated 150,000 each year and leaves millions more permanently disabled. For Alice, it all began with a phone call from her mother that she’ll never forget.
“Something is wrong with your father!”
“Mom! Calm down! Tell me what happened!”
“I don’t know! He’s acting strangely…laughing uncontrollably. I keep trying to get his attention, but he’s not responding to anything I’m saying!”
“I’ll be right there,” said Alice, happy for once to be living a few blocks away.
And as she put the phone down, panic set in. After a deep breath she called 911, locked the front door and headed for her parents’ home as quickly as she could, terrified all the way of what she’d find.
When she arrived, she saw her mother first through the front window and a second later, her father. The sight of him sitting on the sofa, laughing at the television, hit her hard. Instead of reaching out his arms toward her and she approached him and smiling from ear to ear as he usually did, he barely noticed she’d come in.
Alice was struck in this moment by the contrast between the strong, capable man she knew – the one who spent his life working hard to ensure that his children had access to opportunities – and the confused, disoriented stranger sitting in front of her. His speech was garbled and his right arm was limp; something was seriously wrong.
Her mind raced like never before as she and her mother anxiously awaited the ambulance to arrive. When it did, the EMS worker confirmed her suspicion that her father was having a stroke. She knew time was of the essence to limit the damage.
Alice’s father was one of the lucky ones. He returned home less than a week later with no residual effects from the stroke. I asked Alice to tell me more about what she felt went right.
“My mother and I took note of each of my father’s symptoms and described them to the EMS worker who then shared this information with the physicians in the E.R. As it was later explained to us, this information along with M.R.I. results made it possible for my father to get a medication that prevented permanent damage.”
The medication Alice is referring to is called tPA (tissue plasminogen activator). Studies show that it is extremely powerful in preventing brain damage in stroke patients at least half of the time. However, less than 5% of those having a stroke receive it. This is due in large part to the fact that the signs of a stroke are often ignored.
“For my mom it came down to knowing that something was wrong and calling for help immediately. In her gut, she knew my father wasn’t okay and she acted. She was also well-prepared when we arrived at the hospital. She had all of the important info at her fingertips and this made everything easier.”
For those of you who are caring for an aging parent or spouse with high blood pressure, a major risk factor for stroke, here is a recap of Alice’s advice:
1) Know the signs of stroke
F.A.S.T. (Face, Arms, Speech, Time)
Face: Does one side of the face droop if you ask the person to smile?
Arm: Does one arm drift downward if you ask the person to raise both arms?
Speech: Is the person’s speech slurred when you ask him/her to repeat a sentence back to you?
Time: If you answer yes to any of the above, call 911 immediately – time is of the essence.
2) Trust your gut and act quickly – don’t let time pass with the hope that symptoms will improve on their own.
3) Gather pertinent information in one place so you’re ready in a health crisis.
Alice recommends that the family caregiver take the patient’s date of birth, social security number and insurance cards with them to hospital. She also suggests having a list of the patient’s medications ready to share with the medical team including what medications were taken that day.
Christine M.Valentin is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in New York and a guest contributor to this blog. She has a private practice serving family caregivers of older adults.
For more information about stroke, or to read about F.A.S.T., please visit the National Stroke Association website.
