Good morning Mel,

That's a good eye-opener of a story, Mel. It is really sad to hear what is happening to Jeff. We definitely need to be on our guard for these people, it could happen to anyone.

A friend of mine had a stroke when he was around 40; fortunately, he had a good wife who helped him into full health again. It was quite a long process, but he is operating totally normally now, and that's 20 years later. Had he been alone, it may have been a different story.

I hope you're doing well, Mel, have a great weekend.

Roy

Very true Mel. I too thought back to Jeff's posts over the last month or two before his event. Thinking about it now, all the signs were there that something was not right.
The same happened with my mother's dementia. It was not until she was deep into dementia that my sisters and I realised that all the indicators were there for a year or more before we realised the seriousness of what was happening.
You are right, we should all be a little more observant and watch oput for those indicators.
Good post Mel.
Hope you and yours are well.
Bux

A TIA is what is known as a mini stroke. I watched as my mom had one while my sister and I were talking with her in her hospital bed.

Had I known then what that was, I would have informed rhe doctor and tests would have confirmed.

With TIAs, (sorry, don't recall the long name), there is a 3 hour window that will record that they occurred.

When the blank look appears on someone while you're engaged talking, it is a scary thing to watch occur, especially with a family member or good friend.

Due to Jeff living alone, unfortunately, it was a few days before he was found.

Even though he has contact with Monica, that also seems to have gone by the wayside, prior to his disappearance from online activity.

Don't mean to drag on here, one thought led to another...

In any case, we all need to be aware of other people, and not be so caught up in our own stuff.


Rudy

Yes you are right. With stroke, if get medical help during that golden hour the chances of improvement is great. Jeff from small town people not aware of the warning signs of stroke. It is good to educate ourselves and watch for the warning signs and get medical attention right away.

If get tPA within the golden hour, improves the stroke and sometimes reverse it.

My Dad had it my Mom knew the warning signs but my Dad was stubborn he refused to go my Mom ignored him forced paramedics to take him. He had ischemic stroke. That caused him to have dysphagia. A year later he died of massive heart attack due to stroke related complications, he was 66.

My Dad had high blood pressure and was stubborn as a mule. He never liked going to the doctor was always in denial. He went to work sick many times. We all had a hard time with him. Dr force him to be on bp meds and take water pill but he often didnt take it so my Mom had to fool him by mixing it in his food. Dad never noticed. We knew he would have short life because he refused medical help.

My late husband was the same way. He died age 67 from Pancreatic cancer. He denied that he needed medical help I had to force him to go.

I know you arent that guy. You often wrote on your blogs here about how important it is to take care of our health.

You are a great example for other men who would refuse help.

Next time you can try to intervene when you see something like this happen to people.

Stroke can be irreversible if treated within that golden hour of onset of stroke symptoms.

The suggestion to check the time seems important for how medical people can treat a stroke victim; Mark reminds us in the comments below.

Thank you for sharing your information.
Sami

Thanks for sharing, Mel!

Yes, when someone drastically has a change in demeanor, it can certainly be that they had a mild stroke. It's more comment than we think.

We all need to pay attention to this with our family and friends.

Have a great day!

Hi Mel,

Last week I had a conversation with a friend from the UK who had posted on his Facebook page the signs that should be taken into account in case of a stroke. (image)

Different factors influence a stroke: a sedentary lifestyle that contributes to obesity and cardiovascular problems, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease to name a few. Each risk factor interconnects, creating a cycle that increases the likelihood of stroke. Age and family history could also be taken into account.

Knowing the signs is important but more important is PREVENTING as much as possible!

Hi Mel

Please do not hold yourself responsible in any way for not recognizing the potential seriousness of Jeff's condition during your phone conversations with him.

God willing, and with the proper medical care, we can all be hopeful that he will recover. 😎

Frank 🎸

Know the signs:
F.A.S.T.
The American Stroke Association developed F.A.S.T., an easy-to-remember acronym that can help you spot a stroke in yourself or another person.

F – Face drooping – Is one side of the person’s face drooping or numb? When the person smiles, is the smile uneven?
A – Arm weakness – Is the person experiencing weakness or numbness in one arm? Have the person raise both arms. Does one of the arms drift downward?
S – Speech difficulty – Is the person’s speech suddenly slurred or hard to understand? Is the person unable to speak? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence so that you can listen for slurred speech.
T – Time to call 911 – If any of these symptoms are present, dial 911 immediately. Check the time so you can report when the symptoms began.