Tough moments....

Last night, my dad gave us a big scare. It was unexpected and it really caught us of guard. As my dad picked me up at the LRT with my sis and her lil one, I could not detect that he was feeling unwell. As per normal, we reached home and all eager to have dinner when suddenly, my Dad came out of the car, shivering and he kept saying how feverish and cold he was. So we told him to get into his warm clothing. But what happened next gave us a big scare. He got out of the room with a heavy sigh and started shivering badly. We panicked as the first thing that crossed my mind and my sister’s was the stroke symptom. We were checking out his speech, his response, his vision, headaches, any limpness or weakness etc. We got him all warm and called my brother for assistance. We wanted to drive him to the nearest hospital but after 10 minutes, fortunately, his shivers subsided. We insisted that he still see the doctor and do a check up to be sure taht he is fine.

My Dad had two acute stroke attacks (TIA) years ago so we were worried that it could be another one of them. My Dad has this tendency to keep things to himself especially when it is about him falling ill. He doesn’t like the idea of us worrying over his health etc. Alhamdulillah, after checking with the doctor, he is just down with some infection and high fever. He is now recouperating at home and he is definitely banned from durians..:P

Incidents like this makes me go all mellow. My Dad has always been the understanding half for all of us siblings while my mom is the other half, the very strong no nonsense character that always pushes us to do our best. I guess we turned out OK, thanks to both my parents.

I managed to get some info from the “American Stroke Association” that can be useful to all of us. So, here it goes :-

The signs of stroke:-
· Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
· Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
· Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
· Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
· Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
Be prepared for an emergency.
· Keep a list of emergency rescue service numbers next to the telephone and in your pocket, wallet or purse.
· Find out which area hospitals are primary stroke centers that have 24-hour emergency stroke care.
· Know (in advance) which hospital or medical facility is nearest your home or office.

Take action in an emergency.
· Not all the warning signs occur in every stroke. Don't ignore signs of stroke, even if they go away!
· Check the time. When did the first warning sign or symptom start? You'll be asked this important question later.
· If you have one or more stroke symptoms that last more than a few minutes, don't delay! Immediately call 9-1-1 or the emergency medical service (EMS) number so an ambulance (ideally with advanced life support) can quickly be sent for you.
· If you're with someone who may be having stroke symptoms, immediately call 9-1-1 or the EMS. Expect the person to protest — denial is common. Don't take "no" for an answer. Insist on taking prompt action.