Response to Stroke of Insight

Strokes are caused by a block in the blood supply to the brain which causes a decrease in oxygen and delivery of other important supplies which facilitate proper functioning. Fifteen million cases are reported worldwide annually, although not all of these cases are mortalities, the large prevalence of strokes ranks it as the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. (Figueroa) Because of the time sensitivity associated with the lack of resources to the brain, strokes are considered a medical emergency and early recognition of symptoms can help decrease the amount of damage caused . Although strokes do not always cause death, strokes most often leave the individual with some physical and cognitive impairment.

Stroke is a leading health care problem worldwide; ‘living with stroke’ is a real challenge both stroke survivors and their caregivers face.

Aneesh Singhal, MD, author of Recognition and management of stroke in young adults and adolescents, from the Clinical Journal of the American Academy of Neurology states

The health issue that this artifact discusses is the significance of knowing and recognizing the warning signs of a stroke. The American Heart Association has made it their mission to provide unlimited health information and research in the hopes of eliminating cardiovascular diseases as well as helping society in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. “Stroke is the number 5 cause of death and a leading cause of

My name is Shankar Pattabhiraman, and I am an incoming senior at New Albany High School. I will be graduating in June of 2016, and I am thinking of pursuing a chemical or biomedical engineering major in college, or possibly biochemistry or neuroscience. My career goal is to become a physician, or perhaps a physician scientist. I am especially interested in neurology-related fields, and this interest has been reinforced in several ways: participating in the 2015 National Brain Bee Championships competition in Baltimore, MD, volunteering at Riverside Methodist Hospital in the Neurocritical Care Unit and the Stroke and Brain Center, and helping Tony Hall and his friends who suffer from neurological disorders and diseases. I chose to study ischemic strokes because I am interested in neuropathology, both clinically and through research. In addition, through my volunteering at RMH, I have worked with patients who have suffered from strokes, and while the symptoms’ onset is sudden, the events leading up to the stroke are long-term but rarely treatable.

Kathy's medical problems are related to both her sensory neurons and her motor neurons. Her sensory neurons because when she scrapes her knee she does not feel the pain, and her motor neurons because she cannot stand up.

In many cases, strokes can be diagnosed, prevented and treatable. Symptoms of a stroke can occur quickly and may cause: sudden numbness, tingling, or weakness, or paralysis in your face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of your body. Sudden: vision changes, trouble speaking (slurred speech), confusion or trouble understanding simple statements, problems with walking or balance, severe headache. It's recommended to call a doctor or 911 even if these symptoms last for a short amount of time because a transient ischemic attack, or mini stroke may have occurred. The transient ischemic attack may be a precursor to a stroke occurring soon. Catching these symptoms can dramatically increase chances of prevention additional damage to the body (2).

Clients suffering from stroke have slow speech loss of memory, speechless one side of their body paralysed which cause restriction to their movement.

The autobiography, Over My Head, by Claudia Osborn, gave a glimpse into the life of a former Doctor. The book started by giving insight into Claudia’s life including her challenging career, whom she spent her days with and how she used her free time. Based on the title of the book I was expecting her to suffer from a traumatic brain injury, but I had not anticipated her reaction to it. Although I was aware of some disorientation after the incident, and even some memory loss, I was unaware of her disorientation to the life she once knew. Initially, when Claudia did not realize she had any memory deficits, I was convinced it was due to denial. She was a doctor, I would have thought she would understand her injury and recognize that her injury was as severe as it truly was. Later on in the book, I realized that she was not completely in denial, but truly thought there was nothing truly wrong with her. This could possibly be due to her perspective that nothing bad would happen to her. Every one sees something bad happen whether it is a car accident, cancer, or a traumatic brain injury and they think, “ It won’t happen to me.” In Claudia’s case, it is an extremely frightening and frustrating situation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2015) every year there are 800,000 individuals who have strokes. There are 610,000 first time cases and 185,000 recurring stroke individuals. It is important for caregivers to note that the increased risk of another stroke is higher after the first (CDC, 2015). It is also critical for the caregiver to ask questions of the physician, such as what aspects physiologically and emotionally have been affected and treatments

Led by our chairs Samantha Sangabi and Julia Roh, our Power to End Stroke initiative has worked to break the barrier that lies between the community and the signs of stroke. With the help of the B.E.F.A.S.T method we have been able to reach out to the community and provide patients with the tools to detect and take preventative measures against stroke.

She craved minimal stimulation as her brain on overloaded with sensory processing. In the beginning, she would have to sleep for six hours to allow herself twenty minutes of energy. As time passed, her energy level increased significantly. Furthermore, she needed a calm atmosphere that her mother was more than happy to provide for her. Taylor’s mother monitored the visitation time, the sound of the television, and picked up the ever-ringing phone. When she could not remember what something was, her mother facilitated creating the new memory. For example, Jill could not recall what “a tuna” actually was, so her mother made it for lunch to help her know. The mother was such a help, as she was integral in generating new sensory input such as color and puzzles. Since it was her brain’s left hemisphere that received the damage, reading and math were two exceptionally difficult feats. Taylor’s mother helped her along with learning these abstract concepts. After the surgery to remove the remnants of the arteriovenous malformation, she prepared herself to perform a presentation at a college. She watched the videotape of one of her past presentations repeatedly to help regain public speaking skills. Although she did not understand some of what she was saying, she taught herself the words and the pronunciations of the most difficult ones. She presented the information with success. Months after the stroke, she allowed herself to return to working at the Brain Bank. She began with online tasks, which turned into driving to the hospital a few days a week. Then she attended her 20 year high school reunion, which helped her relearn lost memories. After that, she made the decision to step down from being on the NAMI Board of Directors. She, with the help of her guitar, presented her short speech to over 2,000 members. One year after her stroke, she moved to her hometown. It was there that she was

In her “Why Was The Patient Walking on Pins and Needles?” (2015), Lisa Sanders asserted that through many medical tests, a neurologist could not find the diagnosis for a woman’s diseased brain. Sanders supported her position by using a woman’s medical story to illustrate how complex the brain can be. Sanders’ purpose was to explain how the world is composed of undiscovered illnesses in order to catch everyone’s attention on the diseases that humans can have. Given the medical facts that was used in the article, Sanders was writing to a short sighted audience to advise them about the possible phenomenons that could happen to their body.

Viewing this week’s final Ted Talk presented by Jill Bolte Taylor reinforced for me the importance of understanding how physiological processes gone awry can directly impact one’s occupational functioning and overall sense of contentedness with life. Moreover, I recall having experienced a profound sense of sadness on behalf of Jill, followed by the determination to live a more occupationally balanced life when viewing this Ted Talk for the first time; I could not fathom what it must have been like for Ms. Bolte Taylor to experience a left hemorrhagic stroke firsthand and cope with the aftermath for over eight years. I was also amazed at her ability to quickly recognize the signs of her impending stroke

In this assignment I will be looking into a case study based on Bill the Stroke patient. Bill is a retired shipbuilder age 68. Bill was found collapsed and unconscious in his garden by his wife Sandra.Bill has left side weakness and is not able to respond to any stimuli with his left hand. I will explain the details of what is a stroke. How a stroke is caused and the impact of a stroke. The effects of a stroke has on the systems and functions of the body. I will then discuss the effects that a stroke causes to psychological, physical and social wellbeing. It will demonstrate how theory concepts are put into place when treating patients who have suffered a stroke.