While driving home from work, Stacey Yepes could sense she was beginning to have a stroke, although she was not certain at the time what was happening to her.
She had been to the hospital emergency two days earlier, after she began experiencing symptoms that made the public service announcements for the signs of stroke flash through her mind.
But the tests she had run at the hospital were clear and she was told that the episode she had experienced was most likely the result of stress.
She wasn’t so convinced, and when the strange sensations she had felt returned, she pulled over, pulled out her smart phone and began recording what was happening to her.
This is what she filmed:
Stacey ended up going to another hospital for a second opinion, and when they saw the video, along with listening to the symptoms she described, the staff suspected she had a minor stroke.
She was referred to the Krembil Neuroscience Centre (KNC) at Toronto Western Hospital (TWH), who shared this video to help people recognize the symptoms of stroke.
It should be noted that Stacey’s episodes were short, and the symptoms disappeared, only to return again. The doctors concluded she had likely experienced a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or what’s known as a “mini-stroke.”
Mini-strokes are caused by blood clots and in Stacey’s case, they were caused by atherosclerosis – or the build-up of plaque in an artery. Stacey was surprised she had a stroke, being 49 years old and leading a healthy lifestyle, but doctors say that strokes can affect people of any age even if they are low risk.
If you suspect you are having, or had a stroke, DON’T wait. Go to the hospital immediately and get checked out. Either call 911 or have a friend or relative drive you there as soon as possible.
Stacey was lucky that she didn’t suffer paralysis or permanent impaired speech. But she’s also lucky because she didn’t dismiss her symptoms and reacted quickly, which lead her to get the treatment she needed to recover.
Please share this informative PSA with your family and friends. You may just save a life!
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