STROKE

.........Hi.....Howdy!!! Fine I suppose. Hope you had a swell time at work ( or school) as the case may be.

We have heard so much about misconceptions about stroke, now it's time to know and understand what stroke is, who it affects , symptoms etc.

YOU HAVE TO BE STROKE SMART!!!!! The 3Rs

 - Reduce your risk of having stroke

-  Recognise the stroke symptoms 

-  Respond at the first sign of stroke by getting to the hospital

STROKE FACTS

- It is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. ( local figures not available)

- It is the leading cause of adult disability

- Up to 80% of all strokes are preventable

- On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40seconds in the U.S.( it's that common)

DEFINITION

- Sudden brain damage

-  Lack of blood flow to the brain caused by a clot or rupture of a vessel 

- Causes death and does not resolve within 24 hours

- Also known as brain attack.

There are two types viz:

1. Ischaemic ( clot formation). This makes up about 87% of all strokes. A clot forms in the blood vessel and blocks the blood supply to the brain leading to death of the certain tissues in the brain.

2. Haemorrhagic ( bleeding). A blood vessels swells and eventually bursts leading to bleeding into or around the brain. This occurs at the peak of activity like playing.

PREDISPOSING FACTORS

- Hypertension

- Diabetes

- Obesity

- Smoking

-Sickle cell anaemia

SYMPTOMS

- Sudden death or loss of consciousness ( hehehehe! Is death a symptom? A beg no ask me ooo)

- Sudden and sever headache

- Trouble seeing in one or both eyes

- Sudden dizziness or trouble walking

- Trouble speaking or sudden confusion

- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg

IN THIS CASE, DELAY IS DANGEROUS AS EVERY MINUTE COUNTS. YOU SHOULD SEEK HELP IMMEDIATELY.

Stoke strikes FAST

Stroke is a serious condition which strikes FAST, you have to be FAST too

F: Face. Ask patient to smile

A: Arm. Ask to raise arm

S: Speech. Ask to speak a simple sentence

T: Time. If you observe any irregularity, call for help immediately and get the person into the hospital as fast as you can

TRANSIENT ISCHAEMIC ATTACK

- Looks like stroke

- Resolves within minutes to hours

- It is a warning sign of a future stroke

PREVENTION OF STROKE

Lies in our hands. Below are the guidelines.

1. Know your Blood pressure. If elevated, see a doctor to achieve control

2. Stop smoking

3. Drink alcohol in moderation

4. If Diabetic, make sure your blood sugar is well controlled 

5. If your cholesterol levels are high, get it under control. ( not by yourself o, see a doctor)

6. Exercise daily

7. Eat low salt diet( or you may forgo salt patapata), and low fat diets

DELAY IS DANGEROUS

Reasons why people delay in our community

 - There is low stroke awareness, therefore people don't see need for action

- There is poor faith in Orthodox medicine. People would rather visit spiritualists.

- Financial constraints. How can you go to the hospital when you don't have money?

- Poor healthcare facilities

TREATMENT

This depends on the type of stroke. Treatment should be sought only in hospitals with qualified personnel.

RECOVERY

- 10% of survivors recover almost completely

- 25% with minor impairments e.g facial asymmetry 

- 50& experience moderate to severe impairments e.g loss of bowel or bladder control, paralysis, speech defect

- 15% die shortly after the stroke

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH STROKE

Physical: e.g paralysis, speech defect, eating difficulties

Psychological: depression, anger

Financial: liability/ dependent

Note: Caregivers are adviced to be extremely patient with stroke survivors. I know it's not an easy task that you are doing, but please be kind to them.

I hope this piece has enlightened us more about stroke. We should therefore be the drivers of our own lives, take charge and make a decision to live a healthy lifestyle.

Thanks so much for your time. Ciao.

References

National Stroke Association

Www.stroke.org

Photos from Google 

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT STROKE PART2

I decided to write today (after being on break for so long!) because my senior registrar encouraged me to do so. Who knows? This might actually help someone.

I will conclude misconceptions about stroke and hopefully move on to other topics. The story below is however fictional and bears no resemblance to anyone living or dead. It is strictly the writer's creation.

Thanks so much for your time. God bless.

I was sleeping peacefully in my bed on a beautiful Saturday morning. I had planned to stay in bed for as long as was possible. After all the wake-me-I-wake-you of the week, I was looking forward to waking up long after the cock crowed. I even locked my bedroom as I didn't want intrusions from any piked hehehehehehe. I'm sure mothers know what I mean. Hehehehehehe. My people, the sleep was "sweeeeet". In fact I was dreaming about being on vacation in Italy when I was woken up by blaring sirens in the neighbourhood.

Oooooooohhhh God! I said. What kind of ridiculous rubbish was this one nah. These police people sha no go allow people sleep jeje, I fumed. I peered out my window to see what the matter was ( I could see what was going on from my window of course), and I noticed the street was filled with people shouting 'mo gbe', ' I don die o', and putting their hand s on their heads ( you know as Yoruba people dey do nah). Curiosity got the better of me and I went out to do some 'gbeborun'.

I moved down a few houses to see what was actually going on. It was hard to move through people but I eventually got to the root of the matter. Ok, pause. Let me give you some background "info" there was a hotel close by. It enjoyed patronage from all sorts of people. I mean from church seminars to bachelor's parties to Friday night gigs etc. Ok now "unpause" or is it play! I don't know o. I'm not an English major. Na aproko I dey do. Hehehehehehe.

To cut the long story short, a man was dead and a woman was  semi-naked and beaten with her clothes torn into shreds. I was moved with pity and being a doctor ( for that matter), I quickly identified myself to the police and they gave me audience ( of course, what do you think). I was told that the man, who was in his fifties had gone in to the hotel the previous night with  the much younger lady. According to witnesses ( ask me if anyone of them was actually there), while having sex, the man suddenly somersaulted , coughed and died. The woman must have been laced with "Magun". ( Magun in Yoruba culture is a deadly charm used on promiscuous women to bring shame and pin murder on them, oogun elenu gongo, no be small thing)

In view of this, the lady was beaten, scratched, abused physically and verbally by bystanders. It was an unpalatable sight to behold. The police was called in by the hotel manager to manage the situation and the lady was arrested for questioning and taken away. The ambulance was called in, the man was certified dead and was taken to mortuary. I however suggested an autopsy as it would clarify the actual cause of death as stroke was my first differential diagnosis.

My neighbours had a field day that fateful day. Different versions of the gist were flying around. Some even came to meet me to ask what information I was able to gather for dissemination but I locked myself in. I was so sad because I remembered the Bible verse that said, " my people perish for lack of knowledge ". But wetin man pikin go do nah. Life must go on..........

Cheers...

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT STROKE

Helło peeps. How did your day go. I pray we all have a restful night.

Today, I just want to entertain you with some misconceptions about stroke (cerebrovascular accident). It occurs commonly around us nowadays which was not so in the past. Our parents and grandparents can testify to that fact. It is a disease that we have imported into our society due to the kind of lifestyles we have now. I will in the next few write-ups try to dissect this terrible disease which has worked its way into our society.

The reason why this deadly disease seems to be getting an upper hand is because of our attitude to it. Anything we can not explain, we are eager to give the credits to "aye". When stroke strikes, the next thing you hear is that it is due to "hand". Not that there is no "hand" but it's not at all times that "hand" is responsible.

.

Sit back, relax and enjoy this fictional story before you visit dreamland. Thanks.

Pastor Miracle recently turned 60. It was a glorious event. You should have been there for the thanksgiving service. There was nothing like it. The spirit flowed majestically ehn! And everyone was blessed. A lot of sick people got there breakthrough.

The pastor was richly blessed. It just showed that if you truly believe in God, all things would be rosy for you. Pastor Miracle was just an example of God's favour. Everybody prayed to God using him as a point of contact. He had been in ministry for more than half of his lifetime. He was already casting and binding sef before he met his amiable wife, Mummy-in-the-Lord. They had two sons who were both happily married too.

Anyone who had ever heard the pastor speak would want to listen to him again. He was an orator and people all over the world invited him for programmes and crusades. There was no limits to where r he could go since he had all the wheels of evangelism literally including a private jet.

He was returning from a 3-day revival in Togo on that fateful day. He was already tired  but he had promised a local church he would join them for their vigil. He hated disappointing people. So, he went there straight from the airport and he was just in time for his message. He went up the altar, collected the microphone and bellowed " Prrraaiissee the Lord". Shouts of "Halleluyah" rent the air. 

The pastor shouted on the top of his voice again "prrrraaiiisseee, prrraaaaiiisseeee, prrrrr......." And he slumped. The whole church was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone froze. It was only after a few seconds that someone rushed to him shouting "Pastor ", and asked someone to call for a doctor. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. It was a very sad incident.

Back at the church, people gathered in twos and threes with only one thing in their minds and on their lips, " the witches in their town were too hot. They succeeded in 'eating' Pastor Miracle". Oh! What a waste.............

Let me wish you a lovely night. We shall talk more some other time. Hopefully soon. Ciao

Domestic Violence

Hello friends! It's been a long while but we thank God for the gift of life. He made it possible for me to be on this page right now. All glory be His forever in Jesus name. Amen.

Today I want to talk about a topic that I am very passionate about. (This piece is being written together with my children making it a lot easy for me to write. *Wink*, *Laughing* smileys). Thanks to my husband also for the stuffs he gave me on this topic.

I would appreciate it if I can get feedback on this topic and I hope you wouldn't mind if I quote you somewhere. It is in a bid to help people and to help counsellors do their jobs better.

Domestic violence is very common among us. Much commoner than we like to admit. It is seen everywhere in the world. It is however not often reported ( especially here in Africa). There is no typical victim for this crime as it affects all age groups. It is a pattern of abusive behaviour whether physical,emotional, sexual or verbal that occurs among partners (married or unmarried, male or female) or family members ( elderly, children etc).

The only way out is to report it or talk to someone you trust. We all heard about what happened in Lagos, Nigeria where the husband eventually killed the wife. We also watched the online video that went viral about a nanny who physically abused a baby.

The reason why violence of any kind should be reported is because most often than not, the person abusing people is emotionally unstable and is unlikely to change unless he gets help. You would be helping both of you by reporting the violence. Thanks.

Below is a fictional story that depicts what some households go through.

Dalia shook her head in self pity. The image she saw in the mirror was a battered woman. Her face was both blue and black while blood was tripping from the corners of her mouth. All her body ached and to move a muscle was as hard as pushing a trailer. She wanted to cry but she could not. When did things deteriorate this much, she asked herself. Why was Nathaniel treating her this way? He had been very sweet when they had first met. He almost couldn't hurt a fly then. He was so gentle, with kind eyes and sweet words that one couldn't but wonder why his name wasn't Prince Charming.

Nathaniel had changed a little while they were courting, giving her a few slaps once in a while. But he always regretted his actions and usually apologised promising not to do so again. Actually he was under a lot of stress then as he lost his job and was trying to make ends meet. She always forgave him. And she always blamed herself for not being sensitive enough. She was the one triggering his anger with her silly behaviours.

One day, she had thought to surprise him at home by bringing him lunch. He was entertaining some friends and had told her not to come that day. But she was missing him and thought she should cook for him and his guests. Nathaniel had been so furious he poured the whole food on her and did not  allow her in. His friends had pleaded with him but he was too angry to listen to them. She ended up getting two slaps before one of his friends took her home. She had promised herself that she wouldn't have anything to do with him again but when he showed up the next day with her favourite strawberry flavoured Tantalizer's ice cream, her heart had melted completely. And then as usual with sweet words he won her back again.

Then they got married. And the marital bliss ended exactly 48 hours after the wedding. They had run into his ex girlfriend at the lobby of the hotel they were staying. He had totally neglected her while catching up on old gist with the girl. She then excused herself to go back to her room. He told her to stay but she felt like a third party and she politely declined to stay. Hours later when he came back to the room, she had received the beating of her life for daring to refuse him in public. Who would she tell? Everyone expected them to be on the moon eating honey and there she was "chopping" cane.  She could only pray that he would change. 

And that was when it got worse. She had become more prayerful. Turning to God to solve her problem, her husband saw it as persecution of some sort. Today he beat her because she mentioned his name in her prayers. She must not continue to live like this. Her best friend had told her to leave the marriage but she was afraid of what people would say. The marriage was less than two years old. Her mother had always told her that one had to be patient when dealing with husbands. Her pastors had preached against divorce. What was she to do? Would she have to die like this? If only he hadn't  knocked out her pregnancy. At least she would have had something to give her joy.

Then she straightened up to wash her face in the sink but she couldn't support her weight on her feet. She fell in a crumbled mess and welcomed the darkness that enveloped her.............

References

www.webmd.com.    

www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/domesticviolence.html

Intimate partner violence byDonna Cherniak MD et al

Photo credits: Google.