NO. 992 - NEWS FLASH - THIS COULD SAVE A LIFE!

No. 992

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

NEWS FLASH: THIS COULD SAVE A LIFE!

Much to the chagrin of the U.S. Postal Service, there is a better, faster and cheaper way to get information to a large number of people at the same time. It is called e-mail and I use it all the time. Many of my readers also use it to e-mail information to me and, while I can’t use all of it, occasionally I get something so good that I feel compelled to pass it along. As you can imagine I am very selective, and while I realize it may be old hat to many of you, if it can help save one or more precious human lives, it is worth hearing the Geico commercial that says “Everyone knows that” from a few readers.
What I received from a man by the name of Jim Duran is a fourth indicator for someone having a stroke. While you may know this, it was news to me. It begins: There is now a fourth indicator for someone having a stroke. The other three are: 1. Ask the individual to smile. 2. Ask the person to talk and speak a simple sentence (coherently). 3 Ask him or her to raise both arms.
Before I give you the fourth indicator, allow me to share the following true story that almost all of us could be confronted with at some time in the future. During a barbecue, a woman stumbled and took a little fall – she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics). She said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared to be a bit shaken up, Jane went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Jane’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital – at 6 p.m. Jane passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the barbecue. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Jane would be with us today. Some don’t die, but rather end up in a helpless, hopeless condition.
Just as I hope you are still reading, this e-mail admonished everyone to take a couple of minutes to read this. A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within three hours he can reverse the effects of a stroke … totally. He said the trick is getting the stroke recognized and diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within three hours, which is tough. What follows is going to be somewhat repetitious but that is one of the best ways to learn.
First, learn how to recognize a stroke by using the initials STR. Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions. Remember STR, mentioned a moment ago. The “S” stands for Smile. The “T” stands for Talk and Speak a Simple Sentence. The “R” stands for Raise Both Arms. If he or she has trouble with any one of these tasks, call an emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
Now here is the NEW sign of a stroke. Stick Out Your Tongue! Ask the person to ‘stick’ out his tongue. If the tongue is crooked, if it goes to one side or the other, this is also an indication of a stroke. A cardiologist says that if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people you can bet that at least one life will be saved.
Well, as you can see, I have beat that by a mile as thousands of my readers will not only read it, I am betting that many of you will pass it on. Thanks, and God bless.
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(Editor’s Note: THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY – Begin your day on a positive note – 365 days for $12. This will benefit the Bookcase for Every Child project. Go to www.apositivemomentwithjim.com to subscribe.)