Delay in recognition of stroke symptoms and their severity contributes to treatment delay. Think FAST
F acial Weakness
A rm & Leg Weakness
S peech Problems
T ime is Critical
Receiving treatment within 90 minutes of stroke symptom onset is optimal for improved outcomes. Delay in recognition of stroke symptoms and their severity contributes to treatment delay.
A transient ischemic attack, or TIA, is often described as a mini-stroke. Unlike a stroke however, the symptoms can disappear within a few minutes. By definition, a TIA resolves within 24 hours, the majority of TIAs resolve within 60 minutes, and most resolve within 30 minutes. A TIA happens when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or reduced, often by a blood clot. After a short time, blood flows again and the symptoms go away. With a stroke, the blood flow stays blocked, and the brain has permanent damage.
A TIA is a warning: It means you are likely to have a stroke in the future. If you think you are having a TIA, call 911. Early treatment can help prevent a stroke. If you think you have had a TIA but your symptoms have gone away, you still need to call your doctor right away.
STOCKTON – On the first day of her debilitating stroke, brain scientist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor was like an infant. It would take her eight years to recover fully.
Today, she acknowledges that she could not have survived alone, nor can anyone else. There to help her every step of the way was her mom – her caregiver – Gladys G. “Dr. GG” Taylor.
A noted mathematics professor, Gladys Taylor, will speak for the first time about her experiences at Healings in Motion’s Caring for the Caregiver, a daylong symposium Saturday at the Lexington Plaza Waterfront Hotel, 110 W. Fremont St.
Among the morning and afternoon sessions will be brain exercises led by a certified brain gym coach and workshops on elder-care law, family mediation and conflict resolution, getting organized to reduce stress, Caregiver 101 for men by men, how to prevent or minimize Alzheimer’s, technologies that make caregiving easier, and the caregiver’s journey (there is a beginning and an end).
According to the National Alliance of Caregivers, more than 54 million Americans are caregivers for a family member, a friend or in a professional capacity. Recovery depends on caregivers, according to the alliance.
In recognition of the grass-roots efforts of Stockton-based Healings in Motion, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors has proclaimed Saturday, the day of the symposium, as Caregiver Appreciation Day.
Tickets for the all-day event are $25 per person, and some need-based scholarships are available. Information and tickets: (209) 234-2802 or www.healingsinmotion.com. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091111/A_NEWS/911110311#STS=g1wh62vf.hvx
Madeline made an online donation today in memory of a neighbor who died of a stroke. This is what she wrote:
I very much appreciate the work you and your organization do. I spent quite a bit of time on your website and learned a lot. I now know what symptoms I would see if someone is having a stroke and I know why I would call 911 right away. The information is invaluable. Thank you, Maddie
The Community Hospital of Monterey (CHOMP) celebrated becoming a Certified Stroke Center with guest speaker Jill Bolte Taylor, PhD. I was touched by Dr. Taylor’s love of people and her passion to understand the brain and the stroke she experienced. At the age of 37, she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life. It took her eight years to recover and she is still on her journey of recovery. Dr. Taylor’s compassion and scientific understanding as a stroke survivor not only gives us hope and understanding about the brains ability to continually regenerate and recover from injury but she causes the caregiver to “take a moment ” to understand the needs of those in their care.