I think my dad has had a stroke

chickenista · #1 04/19/08, 02:04 PM

He called me.. today is his 63 birthday.. and couldn't hold a thought or finish a sentence or a word.. very confused etc.. not his usual perky self.
I was asking if he was depressed about his birthday and that wasn't it.
Said he had been drinking a bit in the previous days, but was not drinking now and was not hungover.
(I didn't find my dad again until I was 30.. he and I had been forced apart when I was 7..that is what made him drink a bit when he was younger and occasionally now he will go on a bit of a spree.. not a bad guy at all)
he called me back accidentally a few minutes later by mistake.. couldn't remember who he was trying to call.. I told him I thought he had had a stroke.
He poo poo'ed that.. but I asked him if he felt funny.. he said that he did.. all dazey and out of it.
I am over 2 hours away and broke. I can't go to check. I called my 77 year old cousin to go check for me and she will.. she is taking her daughter with her.. I told her to hospitalize him if he seemed ill.
This is horrible! To be trapped here by lack of funds etc...now I just wait and let others check him and let me know.
AAArrrggghhh!!!

Janis Sauncy · #2 04/19/08, 02:06 PM

How long before you know anything?

Here's hoping everything will be fine with your dad.

Janis

Alice In TX/MO · #3 04/19/08, 02:12 PM

Stroke is the third biggest cause of death. A third of these people will die within a year, and half will be disabled. Pretty grim stuff.

But the good news is that someone who's had a stroke has a much better chance of recovery if they get to hospital quickly. Doctors can give them a 'clot-busting' drug that reduces the damage caused by the blood clot in the artery that is depriving the brain of oxygen and causing the stroke. Studies have shown that people who receive the drug recover better than those who don't.

But there's a catch. The stroke victim must receive the clot-busting drug within three hours of the onset of symptoms.

It takes an hour on average for hospital staff to admit a patient, do tests, get consent for the tests and so on. So that means you have to get there in two hours. Then factor in transport time - only specialised stroke units in major metropolitan centres are allowed to give the clot busting drugs because patients have to be carefully screened for suitability. So if you live in a rural area you have to be transferred to a city hospital. Three hours starts to get harder and harder.

So there's no time to lose. Unfortunately, bystanders, friends and family often don't realise the person has had a stroke, especially if it's mild. They may mistake it for a faint, a 'turn', or some other illness. Only about 10 - 20 percent of stroke sufferers actually make it to hospital in time to be eligible. Sometimes people aren't correctly diagnosed and admitted for weeks.

So US cardiologists have come up with a quick and easy test that can tell whether someone's had a stroke. Ask the person three questions:

* Can you raise your arms and keep them up?
* Can you smile?
* Can you speak a simple sentence?

If the person has trouble with any of these tasks, it's likely they've had a stroke.

Kmac15 · #4 04/19/08, 02:12 PM

do let us know.
If it would be faster could the police do a well check on him?

AR Cattails · #5 04/19/08, 02:15 PM

I hope they check on him right away so if he has had a stroke he can start getting the care he needs. I'll be praying for you both.

chickenista · #6 04/19/08, 02:17 PM

I've got two folks on their way to him now. My cousin's daughter and my late MIL's son.
My older cousin called to let me know they were heading his way and she is going to call him and listen to him and get an idea of how he sounds too.
I am glad you guys are here to talk to.. can't call my mother..unsympathetic and I think she is on a cruise ship in the Atlantic still.. and DH isn't picking up his cell.

blue gecko · #7 04/19/08, 02:25 PM

Along with the signs that Rose posted there is another one. Have him stick his tongue out if it veers to one side thats another symptom.

I hope everything works out all right, I'll be thinking about you.

Becca65 · #8 04/19/08, 02:28 PM

Not good

sorry to hear about your father!! I know it's hard being so far away and not knowing whats going on.
Wow keep us updated! My dad just had a heart attack and i know how it feels to feel helpless.. He's in Florida and i'm in Michigan.

Peacock · #9 04/19/08, 02:32 PM

Sounds familiar. That's what happened with my dad, we thought he'd been drinking, which wouldn't have been a surprise. But it was a stroke, maybe a series of them, and he was totally invalid thereafter. I hope your dad gets taken care of ASAP.

chickenista · #10 04/19/08, 04:39 PM

My cousin's daughter went by .. I had asked her to take him some food too in case it had been awhile since he ate.. and he wouldn't let her in. She did say he looked just awful. My cousin called and talked to him and said he sounded "off" to her too.
She will go by after church tomorrow and take him some more food and MAKE him come outside and sit with her. She is like a mother to him and he will listen to her. She will let me know then what she thinks.
I am going to have to do the power of attorney thing or something soon and get his info in order... just in case of future crud.

Katrina26 · #11 04/19/08, 05:18 PM

Praying for your Dad and you!

Kat

unregistered29228 · #12 04/19/08, 05:48 PM

Maybe he was just having a few drinks for his birthday....I hope it wasn't a stroke. I'll have him in my prayers.

Murron · #13 04/19/08, 06:09 PM

Chickenista - Hey gf, hang in there. You must be pulling your hair out, and worried sick. It sounds like you have some good family to check on him, and hopefully they can put you at ease, if only somewhat. We're all here to listen, and offer a bunch of cyber shoulders, too.

manygoatsnmore · #14 04/19/08, 07:25 PM

Please, please, Chickenista, call the police in your dad's area, tell them what you told us, and have them do a welfare check. It sounds like he is seriously ill and confused - the confusion can be part of the stoke (or even something as simple as a urinary tract infection, but even that can be serious if he's not safe to be alone). The symptoms you have listed sound very much like an evolving stroke. If you wait for tomorrow, it may well be too late.

I'll be praying for your dad....and I don't say that often or lightly. I am really worried about him. Sounds so much like some of the patients we get at the hospital....

chickenista · #15 04/19/08, 08:20 PM

I have talked to him twice since my last post.. it has come out that he hasn't eaten anything in several days.. "Not hungry, dear". Well.. I went off and gave him a good lecture about putting fuel in the machine etc.. reminded him that he is an intelligent man and knows better and that even if he doesn't feel hungry he has to put something in there. Also said that if I had to drive all the way to his house he wouldn't like it.. I would have 2.5 hours to just think about only him and that I would have a good head of steam by the time I got there etc.. demanded he eat immediately and call me before 9 pm.
Barely squeaked in at 8:55.. (smart ***. I know where I get it from) He sounded like a different man. Not totally up to snuff, but much, much, much better. Clear voice, tight sentences, interactive. So, I think he will live.... this time. Idiot.

Sherrynboo · #16 04/19/08, 09:06 PM

Maybe his blood sugar was low from not eating like he should. That can cause confusion, especially if he has had any alcohol on top of not eating. Glad he sounds better to you. I know it has to be heartwrenching to be unable to go see about him yourself!

Sherry in GA

AR Cattails · #17 04/19/08, 09:12 PM

Hopefully it was just a case of low sugar from not eating. I hope you scared him enough to get him eating again. Thanks for the update and please continue to let us know how he's doing. I'll continue to keep you all in my prayers.

Murron · #18 04/19/08, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chickenista

So, I think he will live.... this time. Idiot.

Ahhh. reminiscent of me n' my dad! I enjoy your sense of humor, girl. Glad to know he's doing better. Thanks for updating all of us.

ELOCN · #19 04/19/08, 09:37 PM

I'm so sorry about your father. I am praying for him and that some kind soul is closer than you will help him!

Quint · #20 04/19/08, 11:57 PM

One thing to remember about strokes it that time lost is brain lost. Time is of the essence when dealing with a stroke. No waiting around. It's as much of a critical situation as a heart attack. In essence you're having a brain attack.

They're horrible, horrible things and getting a loved one to the hospital when they're having one is essential. Get them there by any means necessary.

Get to the hospital fast enough and you may be able to recover with little or no lingering after effects. Get to the hospital too late and if you're lucky you just die. If you're unlucky you end up a drooling paralyzed vegetable lying in a nursing home waiting to die.