Wakeup call: Do you know the signs of stroke?

Someone I’m close with told me yesterday she was in the passenger seat of her car on Saturday, with her husband driving and kids in the backseat, when suddenly her right eye drifted toward her left and her vision went blurry. "Something’s going on," she said to her husband as her vision blurred. It really alarmed her, but was over in 30 seconds. Then, when they arrived home, she was losing her balance. That’s when she remembered seeing a TV ad ‘know the signs of stroke,’ and did an online search to find out more. Sure enough, she had suffered two of the signs and had to go immediately to hospital. Doctors there confirmed after a number of tests that she had had a transient ischemic stroke [mini stroke]. "It’s a good thing you came in fast," the doctor at the ER told her. "This needs to be diagnosed and treated immediately." She is now on medication and will see a neurologist in a week. She’s only 46, and otherwise healthy.

Luckily, she’ll be okay, but maybe others will not be so fortunate. So, know the signs of stroke. It’s sneaky, and can be deadly. Find out more at the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s website.

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