The quick response saved the life of Melissa Wing, a 29-year-old graduate student in Victoria, B.C. Stroke She acted quickly on the symptoms.
In July 2023, while chatting with friends at a farewell party on the beach, Wing turned to look at her partner and suddenly felt her face droop to the right side.
She remembers saying, “I don’t feel good, I think I’m having a stroke.”
They went to the hospital immediately. Wing's stroke symptoms worsened rapidly. She said that while her initial symptoms were facial droop, within half an hour she also lost the use of her right arm and hand, the facial droop worsened, and she eventually lost her ability to speak.
“I went to the emergency room, saw a doctor within 20 minutes, had an MRI within an hour, and got the medication I needed within that crucial four hours,” Wing told Global News.
Melissa Wan and her partner Cole.
Melissa Winn
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, a stroke occurs every five minutes in Canada, a disturbing trend that is not only on the rise among older Canadians, but also among younger people.
In honor of Stroke Month in June, The foundation released statistics on Tuesdayshowing that there are more than 108,000 stroke cases in the country each year. The latest data also shows that nearly one million people in Canada are currently struggling with the aftereffects of stroke, which is the leading cause of disability in adults.
Experts say the number of strokes is rising at an alarming rate every year.
“The actual total number of strokes in Canada and in most Western countries is increasing,” Dr. Michael Hill, a Calgary neurologist, told Global News.
“Stroke can occur at any age. The peak incidence of stroke in children is around the first year of life. The incidence of stroke increases with age. This is because common risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes become more prevalent with age. But for people in their 20s, … stroke remains the most common major neurological disease.”
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The Heart and Stroke Foundation attributes the increase to two key factors: the growth of the elderly population, which is the main risk factor for stroke, and the increase in risk factors among younger people. These risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes, an unhealthy diet and a lack of physical activity.
Abbreviation that can save lives
Hill explained that while stroke cases are increasing, awareness of stroke symptoms is also increasing, adding that recognizing the signs of a stroke and acting quickly can mean the difference between life and death, or between a better recovery and permanent disability.
“The encouraging trend is that more people seem to understand the basic signs and symptoms of stroke and are reaching out for help,” Hill said.
“This is important because stroke treatment has been revolutionized over the last few decades to allow for acute treatment. So if we are going to treat patients within the first hour or hours after they have a stroke, we have to see them as quickly as possible.”
Thankfully, Melissa and her partner, Cole, are well-versed in first aid, and she said that upon recognizing the symptoms, she immediately remembered the acronym “FAST,” a tool for identifying potential strokes.
include:
- Face – is it sagging?
- Arms – can you improve both at the same time?
- EraSpeech – Is the pronunciation slurred or confused?
- televisionI should have called 911 immediately.
When Wing lost the ability to speak, she said it felt like she was trapped in her own head.
“It was really scary. Especially when I lost my ability to speak,” she said. “So all the words were coming to my mind, but I just couldn't say them. I couldn't put them into words.”
Multiple tests revealed the culprit for Wing's stroke: a previously undetected heart condition. The stroke likely led her to discover the disease, she said, which might have otherwise gone unnoticed.
“So, in a weird way, I’m lucky,” she said.
Wen said nearly a year after her stroke, her health is much better.
Melissa Winn
What did Wing learn from experiencing a stroke at a young age? Anyone can have a stroke, she said. This emphasizes the importance of recognizing the symptoms of a stroke.
“The acronym FAST … in a strange way saved my life and could save other people's lives. The only reason I knew I had a stroke was because I knew the acronym. Otherwise, I think I would have brushed it off because I was young.”
Dr. Hill stressed that time is of the essence in stroke treatment. The faster a patient receives treatment, the better the outcome.
“If I can treat a patient within the first hour, they can be discharged the next day,” he said. “But if I start treating a patient six to eight hours after a stroke, they’ve almost certainly already suffered some damage.”
Wen recovered after four days in the hospital. Nearly a year later, she says she is optimistic about her future.
“My life is pretty much the same as it was before the stroke, which is amazing. I'm so grateful and lucky that the effects I had were minimal and long-lasting,” she said.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
