Adrienne Oehlers – I’m here because my family recognized my stroke
Adrienne was 27 and had just given birth to her second son when she had her stroke. She writes today to encourage everyone to learn the warning signs of a stroke using the acronym F.A.S.T. – F – face drooping, A – arm weakness, S – speech difficulty and T – time to call 9-1-1.
My name is Adrienne and I had a stroke at the age of 27. I had just given birth to my second son and my life was perfect.
I am alive today, four and half years after having a stroke, because my family knew the warning signs of a stroke. My husband and mom were able to talk through the symptoms that I was experiencing. They noticed that my face dropped when I smiled at them and my speech was slurred when I tried to answer their questions. Immediately, they called for help and had me rushed to the hospital knowing they had to act quickly. The local EMTs arrived and knew they had to take me to Toledo Hospital, where there was an on-call neurologist who would be able to help.
I am lucky that my local hospital was one of the four in the nation at the time that had the ability to perform an at that time experimental procedure. It was new a new medical treatment that was not standard practice and not yet available, but I was fortunate enough to receive it. Since I had just had a baby, the standard procedure wasn’t an option, this saved my life. This was because of the American Heart and American Stroke Associations that I was so lucky.
Taking the time to become educated about the signs of a stroke CAN help save a life. Stoke can happen at any age and for those we care about, we need to be prepared. Be F.A.S.T., and learn how you can be a hero in someone’s life.
F: Face Dropping
A: Arm Weakness
S: Speech difficulty
T: Time to call 9-1-1
Tell us: Do you know the warning signs of a stroke? Do you tell others? Register for the Support Network and reply in the comments below.
