Try asking a doctor about it sometime. My father had a stroke right there in the hospital and all they gave him was a blood thinner. When I got there, well within the 3 hr. window and I asked about it the doc just looked at me like I had no clue and neither did he. I truly believe Dad would still be here if he'd received the TPA, instead of just a blood thinner.
My dad also had a stroke, but lived meny years after. He had many months of intensive physical and occupational therapy and was able to walk short distances with a cane. He still had difficulty with speech, but would eventually articulate his thoughts. My dad was left-handed so had to relearn everything with his right hand.
Interesting, because apparently patients who are already on blood thinners (like coumadin) are NOT candidates for TPA. That's one thing the article *didn't* mention - many older people already at risk for stroke (because for instance they have preexisting medical conditions like arrhythmia) are already on coumadin. If they took TPA they could have major brain hemorrhages.