Stroke Patient Recounts His Experience During Stroke Awareness Month

DENVER, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Allan Rupp jumped in his truck and headed off to work like he does every day. But half way there one recent morning, he began to feel strange. His eyes started to move back and forth, his left side went numb and he was experiencing facial paralysis. Deciding to turn the truck around and head back home, he opted to stop, instead, at a small hospital just two blocks from his rural home near the Kansas and Colorado border. By the time he reached the hospital, his symptoms grew worse. He fell out of his truck in the parking lot and attempted to crawl into the emergency room, before someone came to his aid.

Rupp is one of nearly 800,000 Americans who will suffer a stroke this year, and, like Rupp, many cannot identify stroke warning signs or risk factors. He's speaking out to help others during May's National Stroke Awareness Month. Because the staff at the small hospital in Rupp's town understood the sense of urgency in treating him quickly, they airlifted him to Colorado's top stroke treatment provider, HealthONE Stroke Care.

"I didn't really know what was going on. So much of it is a blur," he says. "A few years earlier, I had a routine exam for work and they said my cholesterol was a little high and prescribed some medicine. Eventually I quit taking it, and now I wonder if it would have prevented my stroke."

Rupp's questions might have been answered through HealthONE's new Stroke Risk Profiler, an online stroke assessment tool for adults of all ages, http://www.healthonecares.com/stroke_center/stroke-assessment.htm. Simple to complete, the assessment provides individuals with an overview of risks, what to look for, and other helpful information about strokes.

The number one thing to know about strokes, says Dr.Christopher Fanale, is to act FAST.  Use these warning signs as a guide to detecting a potential stroke in yourself or others:

F – Face: Ask the person to smile, does one side of the face drooping down?

A – Arm: Can the person raise both arms?

S – Speech: Is speech slurred or confusing? Is the personable to speak?

T – Time: Time is critical. Call 9-1-1 immediately.

"Every second counts in minimizing brain damage. Quick assessment and personalized care are key," says Dr. Fanale. "A stroke is an emergency."

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Nearly 75% of  strokes occur in people aged 65 years or older, with nearly 25 percent of strokes occur in people younger than age 65.  People with a family history are more likely to have a stroke, and by 2030, it is estimated that 4 million people will have had a stroke, nearly 25 percent higher than 2010 estimates.

"Acting FAST can save a life," Dr. Fanale says. "Every second a patient has to wait, they lose an estimated 30,000 brain cells. Time is critical."

SOURCE HealthONE