When a stroke doesn’t look like a stroke…

#Stroke #Recovery #BEFAST

[Janne_Mai]

BE FAST:
Balance (dizziness, uncoordinated movements)
Eyes (blurred vision)
Face (one side sagging, difficulty smiling)
Speech (slurring or not finding words)
Arms (coordination/movement)
Time (to go to the hospital)

[StingrayMM]

You have no idea how happy it makes me to see you talking faster than the speed of light again. After all that horror.

[edl]

“Always err on the side of caution” is completely undermined by outrageously high cost healthcare lack of universal coverage in the US. Calling 911 and going to the ER for a suspected stroke could set someone back $10k. We need to fix the system so people aren’t ignoring life threatening conditions for financial reasons.

[FallingLeaf]

I have PTSD and whenever it kicks in, I show all the signs of a stroke. Sagging face, paralysis of my left arm, dizziness, slurred speech, etc. I've had, on multiple occasions, someone call the emergency hotline for that reason. One of those times, after being taken to one of two separate hospitals, I was told by the doctors to not bother coming back to the ER unless it is an actual stroke. (I do not go to that hospital anymore if I can avoid it.)
Anyway, I just wanted to say that sometimes other illnesses can masquerade as something far more serious, but it is still important to seek help if you're not sure. I am grateful to those who stepped in to help a complete stranger simply because they saw the obvious signs of a stroke. Granted, it wasn't that serious, but they all would've probably saved my life had I actually been having a stroke.

[madeleinewalker]

Unrelated, but I love the design on your prosthetic liner, Subtle but very cute.

[fluffylittlekaitlyn]

I had a stroke at 16 in my left basal ganglia. Even though the part of my brain was small the doctors said i should have died or have been paralyzed due to the severity and longevity of the stroke (over 12 hours due to my inability to communicate to my sister what was happening due to gurbled nonsense, and not wanting to bother my parents at work) It has left me with irreversible brain damage and a laundry list of deficits. I went to physical, occupation and speech therapy for me to only decline further in my condition. They were able to get me comfortable at home but having a job and college was no longer on the table. My mental health also suffered greatly, but i’m still here and i’m getting ready to turn 21 in 4 days, and this is the first birthday since my stroke that i’ve actually been looking forward to and excited about. I hope your condition improves much more and i’m so happy you’re still here 💕

[purple-cho]

Thanks for using what happened to you as a teaching moment for the rest of us! Interestingly, here in the UK the acronym in public information campaigns is simply "FAST" - I had no idea that it was also important to check people's balance or eyes if a stroke is suspected. That seems like a pretty important thing to leave out, but hey now I - and presumably others passing through - know that extra detail and might be in a better spot to help if the need arises

[fionarailton]

This is such an important message. My brother was 14 when he had a slow stroke. He went to hospital and was diagnosed with bells palsey and sent home. 2 days later he had "a full stroke" and was admitted to hospital. I know the FAST acronym but didn't know the BEFAST version. Thanks for sharing ❤

[muirgirl]

Im your age and this happened to me too. I live in Montana and was gaslit to hell and back. Long recovery. Love your light and strength. ❤❤

[valeries]

My friends 49 yr old daughter had a stroke and also had no idea. Luckily someone was with her who recognized it right away. Glad you are on the mend. BTW I just saw you in a Nurtec commercial!! Stay strong!

[tobykenobe]

I had a friend have a stroke right beside me in my car and I didn't know it, I brought him back to his apartment complex and he ended up in the hospital the next morning

[jenicpizarro]

I get all of these symptoms nearly constantly, which makes it really difficult to know when to go to the ER. I am also allergic to the IV contrast they use in CTs so I usually just don't go to the ER at all unless it stays bad after my migraine meds and my heart medication (if I can still swallow) or it worsens quickly.
Always a bit funny or disheartening to see my daily function be listed at emergency level but when I get (driven by a friend or parent NOT an ambulance) to the ER they leave me alone for hours without being seen mostly because I lose the ability to speak read or write during these events. I have a lot of factors raising my stroke risk that I was born with so I am pretty aware of the odds that I get one well before turning 25.
Lol I'm venting in a yt comment here, but I'm really glad you got the help you needed and are recovering so well!

[cashagon]

That's scary... Someone could just think you're tired and not know to act.

[greeneyedshetiger]

You are so strong ❤ I wish you the best future ❤
My dad had a stroke, and he didn’t really show any of the signs. He could talk, move without difficulty, follow a finger movement with his eyes, all he complained about was a headache. And he said that something was wrong. We “the kids” were there visiting, we had just had a gathering. Anyways we told our mom to call an ambulance, because we were sure something was wrong. 5 minutes later he couldn’t see, he couldn’t move half of his body, and he started slurring.
Yes it’s different for all, and please be safe ❤
My dad is still here almost 10 years later with hardly any signs of what he went through because we acted quickly, and were close to the hospital.

[ljfinger]

If you (or anyone) had had your systems, I would have called an ambulance immediately. And I did, for my neighbor, a few weeks ago. Turned out it wasn't a stroke, but it was serious and I knew something wasn't right.

[Scott_Burton]

Having worked in a hospital (admittedly the IT department) the focus was always made for a stroke on the FAST portion of this acronym. (I've been out of hospital IT for about 14 years, so it may be a more recent change, or just something that wasn't emphasized.) I always _try_ to notice oddities in people I am familiar with, but a stranger, I'm more likely to believe it to be an issue that isn't "abrupt" unless it clearly is. (Someone collapses, that's abrupt, no matter how you consider it.)

I am very glad to see you are getting more active online. Tbh, the internet isn't the same without you. (And it is a far less tolerable place without you, Jo.)

[dianemichelle]

Thank you for sharing this. If anything goes numb, like your arm, or you have trouble with coordination of legs or arms, it could be a stroke. Also, hearing-associated with balance. I witnessed an 18 yr old have a stroke in a class in college. Very scary. Called an ambulance. A lot of ppl don’t get checked out bc the symptoms go away quickly. Turns out, he had an undiagnosed hole in his heart and had emergency surgery. He was back at school the next semester though, he had to relearn some things, but he was alive and at school!

[laurajones]

I knew fast but befast is even better. I hope you continue to recover wonderfully!

[munkyjammin]

Thank you for this.
My docs didn't even think of this, POSSIBLE STROKE.
I have been seeing specialists about this.
Everyone dismissed me, which was NEVER okay.
Have been looking for a new Dr.

Thanks for STROKE AWARENESS & now STROKE PREVENTION AWARENESS.

[JoeyDragonWhisperer]

The thought of getting a stroke is terrifying to me because I chronic migraine condition, and some of my migraines have the same symptoms as strokes but are completely harmless. With how expensive healthcare is here, I can’t afford to get an ambulance ride to the hospital every other time I get a migraine, so I’ve just been taking migraine meds every time I have stroke symptoms… if I were to actually have a stroke, I’d be screwed.