Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

I Had a Stroke at 33

buzzfeed.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 156 posts

Re: I Had a Stroke at 33

#31

Post by sigterm »

mhb wrote: post #20
primelens wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My dad had a cerebral stroke a few years ago. As everyone else was trying to arrange an emergency ambulance, his doctor was on the phone with him asking him to stay awake. Apparently, he said "if you fall asleep, you'll die." Fighting to stay awake for those few hours was one of the hardest things he's ever had to do.

This advice to not fall asleep is pretty prevalent (at least on TV). Is there a basis for it?

Would love to know this too. I have always thought it might have to do with being able to communicate with the medical staff to get a better assessment.

Re: I Had a Stroke at 33

#32

Post by GuiA »

Will smartwatches with heart rate/other health sensors be able to detect strokes right when they happen? Or maybe even slightly before they do?

Re: I Had a Stroke at 33

#33

Post by day_ »

Great article.

I had a stroke one night in my 20's. When I woke up, my right side was numb (I thought I just slept on my arm), I spoke gibberish and was unable to write but I felt fine and I thought I spoke perfectly fine. I finally figured out that something was not right when I tried to write a message to my mom on the back of an envelope to tell her that I was fine and I just drew a straight line instead of letters. That's when she called an ambulance.

Luckily I was back to normal within a month, but I struggled for some time to to find the right words when talking.

Re: I Had a Stroke at 33

#34

Post by kensai »

huhtenberg wrote: post #2

Remember this - You have FOUR HOURS to get a person with a stroke to the emergency. If you do, their chances of survival are dramatically higher.

Thrombolysis works only for ischemic strokes. The much worse hemorrhagic stroke doesn't even have that window. Fortunately, it is somehow rarer.

Re: I Had a Stroke at 33

#35

Post by tdicola »

GuiA wrote: post #32

Will smartwatches with heart rate/other health sensors be able to detect strokes right when they happen? Or maybe even slightly before they do?

I don't see how a clot in the brain would be detectable through heart rate at all.

Re: I Had a Stroke at 33

#36

Post by quintin »

ohquu wrote: post #6

What a beautiful article. My girlfriend had three strokes, in succession, two years ago (when she was 22). The night before these strokes occurred, she had a transient ischemic attack (TIA). She began speaking gibberish to her friends. She texted me later that night explaining what happened. Her friends had laughed about it because they thought she was just acting like a goofball. I had no idea these were signs of a…

Thanks for this.

Are you in the US? If so, how much did the ordeal cost?

Re: I Had a Stroke at 33

#37

Post by ryanSrich »

quintin wrote: post #36
ohquu wrote: post #6

What a beautiful article. My girlfriend had three strokes, in succession, two years ago (when she was 22). The night before these strokes occurred, she had a transient ischemic attack (TIA). She began speaking gibberish to her friends. She texted me later that night explaining what happened. Her friends had laughed about it because they thought she was just acting like a goofball. I had no idea these were signs of a…

Thanks for this. Are you in the US? If so, how much did the ordeal cost?

This is my question as well. I'm not only afraid of something like this happening but that I'd be ruined financially if it did (and it really doesn't have to be something this big. Simply going to the emergency room would cost me thousands).

Re: I Had a Stroke at 33

#38

Post by magicalist »

mhb wrote: post #20
primelens wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My dad had a cerebral stroke a few years ago. As everyone else was trying to arrange an emergency ambulance, his doctor was on the phone with him asking him to stay awake. Apparently, he said "if you fall asleep, you'll die." Fighting to stay awake for those few hours was one of the hardest things he's ever had to do.

This advice to not fall asleep is pretty prevalent (at least on TV). Is there a basis for it?

Not sure about strokes, but it used to be believed that a person with a concussion must be kept awake, but it turns out not to make a difference. It's still a fairly common trope in movies and on tv, though.

One source on that: http://www.uamshealth.com/?id=10724

Re: I Had a Stroke at 33

#39

Post by ricardobeat »

alukima wrote: post #19
skizm wrote: post #12

Remember FAST: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FAST_(stroke) First 3 minutes of the house episode Fetal Position (S3 E17) demonstrate it.

The author points out that she didn't display any of those symptoms.

Though she says her speech wasn't slurred, you can tell from the story she had speech and comprehension difficulties. Regarding face drooping and arm drift, it could be that she just doesn't remember/didn't notice, again she says herself her memory was failing. I'm sure a doctor would have recognised the symptoms immediately.

Re: I Had a Stroke at 33

#40

Post by GuiA »

tdicola wrote: post #35
GuiA wrote: post #32

Will smartwatches with heart rate/other health sensors be able to detect strokes right when they happen? Or maybe even slightly before they do?

I don't see how a clot in the brain would be detectable through heart rate at all.

Not sure, but maybe at a preventative level? E.g. if your heart rate behaves a certain way after exercise or during sleep, maybe it indicates a stronger likelihood of having a blood clot.

Well I don't know, I'm not a doctor- that's why I'm asking the question, hoping that someone knowledgeable will answer with a concrete reasoning.

Your comment in its present form is quite pointless.

Post reply on HN