REMEMBER I SAID I WAS TIVOING A STROKE SHOW SAT.? I DID. HERE'S MY THOUGHTS:
THIS WAS MENTIONED:
F = FACE Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A = ARMS Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S = SPEECH Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Does the speech sound slurred or strange?
T = TIME If you observe any of these signs, then it's time to call 9-1-1.
THAT'S NICE & EVERYTHING, BUT I DON'T C IT AS VERY PRACTICAL. I'M ALL 4 EDUCATING YOURSELF, BUT I MUCH PREFERED THE ADVICE THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN WHEN U R YOUNG. I'M ON A YOUNG STROKE STROKE SURVIVOR SUPPORT GROUP, & 24 SEEMS THE COMMON AGE 4 MANY "STROKEES." HOWEVER, WHEN WE COME 2 THE ER, DOCTOR'S COMMONLY SAY, "(S)HE'S TOO YOUNG TO HAVE A STROKE!" WWHATEVER. WHEN WILL THEY LEARN???
MARK HAD IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THE SIGNS & ACTED–& ALL FROM A PHONE CALL, YET DOCTORS KEPT LOOKING & WASTING VALUABLE TIME, CERTAIN I WAS TOO YOUNG TO HAVE A STROKE. I, HOWEVER, WAS EXTREMELY UNEDUCATED & CLUELESS WHAT WAS HAPPENING. IT HAPPENS FAST—1 MIN. U R FINE, THE NEXT U R NOT. IT'S NOT LIKE I COULD'VE USED "F.A.S.T." I GUESS U COULD USE IT IF U WERE THERE EXACTLY WHEN IT HITS, BUT I THINK IT WAS OBVIOUS 2 EVEN MY YOUNG GIRLS THAT MOM WAS "NOT OK."
I COULD RELATE 2 SEVERAL PARTS OF STORIES FROM STROKEES ON THE SHOW, BUT IT SURPRISED ME 2 NOT HEAR ANOTHER COMMON PHRASE UPON WAKING AFTER U HAVE STROKED—"I WAS IN A NIGHTMARE." (IT'S SO SUR-REAL, I THINK A YR. WENT BY W/ME WANTING 2 "WAKE UP.") PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY INTERVIEWED MILD STROKE CASES, "FIT 4 TV." NO1 W/A TRACHE SCAR OR IN A W/C WAS WAS INTERVIEWED—EVERY1 SEEMED 2 HAVE A "MIRACULOUS RECOVERY," HAD IT HARD, BUT WAS FINE. THIS INFURIATED ME—2 TRIVIALIZE MY DAILY LIFE! THIS SHOW WAS 2 EDUCATE, SO WHY NOT SHOW THE VAST SCOPE 4 RECOVERY OR THE RECOVERY STAGES? I, PERSONALLY, HOPED 2 HEAR OF SOMETHING NEW ABOUT THE RECOVERY. I WAS DISSAPPOINTED.
1 QUES. REMAINED THOUGH: HOW 2 EDUCATE PEOPLE LIKE ME—B4 MY STROKE, I WOULD HAVE FLIPPED BY & NOT CHOSEN 2 WATCH, & DEFINITELY WOULDN'T HAVE TIVOED IT!
JENNY LYNN'S NEWS 
Jenny:
It’s been a while since I stopped in at your blog. Thanks for keeping up with it. It’s good to see that you are still hanging in there and sharing what you have learned with us.
I was struck by what you said about the show trivializing your life. I think that you have one of the most difficult struggles that I have seen. I also think that you do an amazing and inspiring job of communicating with us and letting us know what’s going on inside you. And I appreciate so much when you give us hints and tips on how to communicate with you and somoene else in the same situation.
I am interested to know, if you would be willing to share something so personal, what your symtpoms were when you had your stroke, and what the timeline was from when you started to feel like something was wrong, and how long it took for the doctors to finally realize that something was seriously wrong. Also, what tips you might give to someone to say to their doctor or caregiver or whatever to help them understand the seriousness of what’s going on.
You and I have never met, but I am a friend of Maria VanderVloedt and Lynn Hurley. I wish you the best, Jenny, and thank you SO much for sharing your experiences with us.
Sincerely,
Donna Mirabile