Look for early signs...

A stroke. This is a word that could mean something positive, like, a stroke of luck. Or something totally disastrous, like, a clinical stroke.  Anyone who is a care-giver, especially for someone who did not recover well from the stroke can understand how this experience can be so traumatizing.

It usually single-handedly changes your life, your perspective on life and your whole life-style. Sometimes although the stroke survivor has survived, they may become different from the person you knew before.

The thing is, sometimes it comes with guilt from lack of knowledge. I know that many people would’ve wished to know the early warning signals of strokes (especially in developing countries), and how TIAs can predict a future stroke. Most people would’ve liked to be given advice on how to deal with the situation medically and emotionally. Not only that, it is expected that someone (like a physician) should sit down with the survivor’s family and explain exactly what to expect in the future and what it means to be a caregiver. But most of the time that just doesn't happen.

There aren’t support groups available everywhere, for everyone. Sometimes the caregiver is their own support group, sometimes friends don’t understand because truly “seeing is believing.”  

I decided to search for resources online and information on TIAs, the most important warning that a stroke could happen in the future.

I initially was on a mission to track down support groups (and there are none where I live as far as I know) and also to check out the tell-tale red lights indicating an on-coming stroke.

I would like to share this information here; I really hope it helps someone.

I’ll begin with TIAs and add other tidbits in the future, isA.

From strokeassociation.org:

What You Need to Know about TIAsExcerpted from “Why Rush?”, Stroke Connection January/February 2009
While transient ischemic attack (TIA) is often labeled “mini-stroke,” it is more accurately characterized as a “warning stroke,” a warning you should take very seriously.

	click to enlarge

TIA is caused by a clot; the only difference between a stroke and TIA is that with TIA the blockage is transient (temporary). TIA symptoms occur rapidly and last a relatively short time. Most TIAs last less than five minutes; the average is about a minute. Unlike a stroke, when a TIA is over, there’s no permanent injury to the brain. View a detailed animation of TIAThe warning signs of a TIA are exactly the same as for a 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 To read the rest of the article go to:

http://www.strokeassociation.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3068856

and 

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4781