I just got the schedule in my e-mail for Oprah and saw that she was going to be on. I watched a video of her lecture about her experience.It was very interesting! I'm going to record it so I can be sure I don't miss it.
Mary Grace

This is a great book about a strong woman and her realizations about the brain. I really recommend this book. It gets into her stroke recovery which I found fascinating. Was, for me, another way to express and realize what the recovery form my strokes was like.  Very helpful!  Her insights are remarkable. Try not to miss this Oprah!!!!!!!

Take care,
Linda

This is all very interesting learning about what a person is feeling as they are suffering a stroke.I wish I had know some of this when my daughter was going through it.Her most severe stroke took place over the course of a day.It started with leg twitches, then lots of crying,she became more and more lethargic, her mouth started to droop and she started drooling, then went completely silent.We knew what was happening but couldn't stop it.When she woke up the next morning,she had no use of her left side and she couldn't talk.She tried at one point to tell us something and we jsut couldn't understand,then she finally signed the word "red" with her good hand(she knew signs from when she was younger, she has down syndrome and her speech therapist taught her some),We imediatly knew she wanted a red popcyle she had been eating red pops for days in the hospital.When we "got it" she  smiled(a bit crooked). My point is one Elaine brought  up it's scarry! It's not enough to just educate people about the outward signs of a stroke but the inner feelings of a stroke.If someone is with a person who is  unable to speak it's easy enough to find a way for this person to communicate,possible with a hand if they have use of at least one side,or even if it's a yes and no with simple eye movements. This may at least help ease the feeling that they are alone in their thoughts and fears. No one wnats to imediatly think that their loved one is in the midst of a medical emergency but if they can ask the person directly and get a yes or no (it seems like the stroke patient knows they are having a stroke or are at least considering it as a strong possibility).This could get them help quicker. As someone pointed out children are at a greater risk of not being diagnosed as having a stroke.If an adult presents with signs of a stroke they seem to be taken more seriously a child on the other hand they seem to look for other reasons first.Kathleen was stumbling around for weeks then she had a hard time using one arm the Dr.'s still didn't even consider a stroke. They did lots of other tests until we ended up in the ER one neurologist took one look at her and said"she looks like someone who's had a stroke" I think he still found it quite unbelieveable but went ahead and looked into this possibility.Children can't tell us what's going on,and education needs to help adults  learn more about this subject, and Dr.'s need to listen to parents more closely. Another symptom that Kathleen had that we only saw in hindsight was she woke up every morning for a very long time crying,she would cry before her eyes were even open.we just thought she had a tough time waking up,had she been able to tell us she probably would ahve told us she ahd a headache.I believe it was the change in her blood pressure upon waking that bothered her.She actually woke up one morning(after her diagnosis) and couldn't use her right arm at all. She didn't think anything of it and got up and went to the fridge, she triend to open it with her right and when it didn't work she just used her left.I right away knew she ahd had a stroke in her sleep.Well enough rambling on here sorry but I jsut feel sooooo pasionate about all of this it's hard to stop..... I'm anxiouse to see the Oprah show!!!
Mary Grace