The serious bit

I am now back at work after almost three weeks off sick. Whilst trawling through my inbox, I found a couple of emails of interest. One was saying that I am going on a First Aid course in October - this is good news, as although I have often cared for Nicola after she has had an epileptic fit, I don't have any formal medical training.

The other one was a forward, and although I have never personally had to deal with a stroke, it doens't hurt to know how as you never know what is around the corner:

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn! Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S * Ask the individual to SMILE .
T * Ask the person to TALK to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (eg "It is sunny out today").
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS .

NOTE : Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.