Good you posted this. I had a stroke several years ago, and I did not know what a stoke was. I was typing a reply on FR and I mentioned that I had to type with one hand and people told me to get to the hospital so I did. Occupational therapy restored my hand and now I type wth both hands as well as ever. There are good books on preventing stroke
I came on shift and was doing vitals in a 4 bed ward when I looked over at a young man with sheer panic on his face..I went over to see what he wanted (I knew he had a stroke from the midnight shift report and he was only in the hospital a hour when shift change came on). He could shake his head yes or no, thats all the communication he had...
I ask him if he knew where he was, shook head NO. I sat with him and explained he had a stroke, what a stroke was and that there were therapies to assist him in regaining what stoke had damaged.
That is the worse situation to be in, when you don't know where you are or why you are there and suddenly you cannot communicate with anyone..its like being dropped into the middle of another country and you cannot talk..
This patient was in his early 40's. No one thinks that strokes can happen at those young ages.
The youngest stoke patient I had was 16 and on the rehab. unit..She had a heart valve replacement because of Rheumatic fever several years earlier and threw a clot that resulted in a stoke...
She did great on rehab and come back to see the staff the night of her senior prom.....