Serene Branson: 'I just thought I was tired'

Erica Hill talks to Serene Branson, the KCBS reporter who was thought to be having a stroke on-air when her speech became garbled and nonsensical.

[BO]

Bruce Almighty was typing her teleprompter.

[murry]

lol" lets take a quick look at it" i'm sure that made her feel great about

[alyssahogan]

She absolutely had a mini stroke. If you ever have any of these symptoms (impaired/slurred speech, numbness in your limbs, dizziness, nausea), GO TO THE HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY !! This woman was very very lucky that she didn’t have a full on Stroke right there. Very scary stuff, don’t ever let your pride or financial status stop you from getting checked for something that could very well end your life with swiftness. I’ve witness how life altering a stroke can be when my mother had one in 2015. It left her paralyzed on her right side, severely impaired speech, unable to think properly, or walk, or live her life like she was once able to do. Testing early is on time, testing on time is too late, and testing late could be fatal. Don’t wait when you have symptoms like these, go get tested and live your life to the fullest! Everyone stay safe and have a Merry Christmas🎄🎅🏽 and Happy New Year 🎉🥳

[datmeme]

Great example of what not to do. Slurred speech + numbness in face and limb... "I just want to go home" is not the right answer. She lucked out, but could have had a stroke and woken up the next day with brain damage.

[goose]

If anybody ever has something like this happen, *GO TO THE HOSPITAL!!!* This woman got _VERY VERY VERY_ lucky!!! If she was indeed having a stroke, she could've ended up passing away.
It's ALWAYS better to get checked out then take your chances.

[kevinwheesysouthward]

I had a stroke in 1996. I was 26 years old. It was exactly like this for me. I know hers was only a migraine but mine wasn’t. It was terrifying, knowing what I wanted to say but hearing jibberish coming out of my mouth. Thankfully, I’m fully recovered from that but the genetic disease that caused it, has caused more damaging consequences for me.

[LouiePlaysDrums]

I can totally empathize with what happened to her. I suffer from migraines as well. Even though it's rare that I have migraines that impare my speech, I have had a few of them that have. They can be downright debilitating and make you sick for days. My heart goes out to her and I'm glad that she's alright.

[angelapowell]

I had a stroke at 19. Was the scariest thing that ever happened. 46 now and fully recovered. The comments not funny

[kbahboh]

you can see the fear in her eyes and on her face so it wasn't a mess up like some are claiming, she really was in trouble.

anyways thank God she's ok

[zptlmff]

Clearly from 11 yrs ago but once again I am floored by medical personnel suggesting that just because the basic tests are “normal” that something wasn’t seriously wrong. As far as I am aware difficulty speaking, hand & cheek numbness like that are not symptoms of migraines-it seems more like she was having a TIA.
I would be very interested in knowing what/if any additional diagnosis or issues she may have had since then.

[HearingEveryRhyme]

@JaydensMommy333 Migraines are very serious, most people just think it means bad headache, but it is a chronic illness with a variety of manifestations.

I started off with no pain and only nausea, no I have a daily headache and a full blown classic migraine every other day. Migraines suck lol.

Sometimes I do the same thing she does with vocalizations.

It is sad that people don't recognize that migraines are a serious illness like epilepsy.

[lulalove]

I cant believe the paramedics didn't do a neuro assessment. PLEASE always go to the hospital if you think you have had a stroke. If she actually was having a stroke, she would probably be dead because she didn't go to the hospital.

[patfiddles]

I had my first experience when I was 12 years old and always the same progression. It would start with split vision like looking into a cracked mirror, numbness in the lips and tips of the fingers, and then the aphasia. You know what you want to say, but the words get all tangled up and it sounds like gibberish. The worst part is there is no warning signs, it can hit you in the car or at work and you just need to wait it out. If people did approach me during an episode, I would try and keep my answers yes or no or use small 3 letter words. I was always afraid that it would be permanent, but it generally cleared up to a point I could speak “slowly and thoughtfully” after a few hours. The next day I would be OK, but every muscle in my neck, shoulders, and back was sore. I couldn’t imagine being in a position that I would have to speak publicly and very much appreciate you sharing your story.

[evernevermore-ciso]

You can see in the video that she's scared. I thought she was just tongue tied at first. But it very quickly became obvious that it was something more.

[missvain]

Oh wow- I feel Serene's pain. I have suffered from migraine aura's for so many years and they are SCARY! Not to mention painful and they just freakin drain your energy when they happen. The crappy part is you just never know when they are going to come on you either, you can be sitting there just fine and the very next second your neck is stiff, you feel nauseaus, you sweat, become disoriented and see all kinds of wierd colors and spots from the aura. It is sco scary and I hope she feels better

[RichGilly]

I'm not a doctor, but I pretend to be one on the internet; If you have blurred vision, and inability to speak, don't do what this woman did. GO TO THE HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY! It could mean the difference between life and death.

[sjm]

she wanted to say "Lady Antebellum swept the Grammys" ... just a little off

[whateversea]

Gosh how embarrassing to ask her to watch it back 😅

[AngieRay]

I suffer from migraine auras, too. For 35 years....since I was 7.

[ThunderFist]

I find it very sad that so many people comment on other videos about this like it’s funny. I don’t see the humor at all.