With World Stroke Day coming up on October 29th we should all focus on Stroke.
WHY you ask!
Let’s start with – one in six of us is going to have a stroke in their lifetime. That’s a lot of us! And with all of our communities and social media connections nearly all of us has a “Stroke Connection” says Bob Mandell, survivor, World Stroke Organization Delegate, author, and Founder of Stroke Recovery Foundation in Naples. Not well recognized is that stroke is a woman’s issue, a person of color issue and can strike people at all ages including children, not just the elderly.
“The sad thing is that more than half of those strokes are preventable? Yes, preventable! Imagine that you are disabled from a stroke as I was, and later find out that it could have been prevented by changing your lifestyle.” Eating less bon-bons and exercising, gaining control of your blood pressure, diabetes, stress levels and high cholesterol.
Going forward, we all need to know the signs of stroke – FAST – sudden Facial issues, weakness in an Arm(s), difficulty with Speech and the critical importance of Time. When it comes to stroke – Time is Brain Loss. The more time goes by from onset to diagnosis and treatment, the more likely long-term disability.
And for those stricken, we need to know that stroke is treatable. I have learned that stroke recovery is a life-long endeavor in which you can make significant gains years after your stroke, in spite of what others may tell you. The good news – the Stroke Recovery Foundation’s education, coaching and resource navigation services, and with your and your caregiver’s determination, you can have a full, meaningful, and exciting life.
Let’s all stand up for stroke prevention and great recoveries!
Bob Mandell is the author of Stroke Victor, How to Go from Stroke Victim to Stroke Victor. A survivor, he is a public speaker and founder of Stroke Recovery Foundation in Naples, FL. He can be reached at bobm@StrokeRF.org or (239) 254-8266.