Former UWL professor reflects on surviving stroke during Stroke Awareness Month

LA CROSSE (WKBT) --

May is Stroke Awareness Month. According to the CDC, someone in the United States suffers a stroke every40 seconds, that's more than 795,000 people per year. More sobering is the news that someone dies from a stroke every three minutes.

Jim Parker is an 82-year-old basketball player who's had health issues before.

"I've had heart conditions, stents, I have pulmonary issues, a whole variety of them," said Parker. But he's never had a stroke until last month.

"I woke up at one in the morning three weeks ago and couldn't move my left hand."

He went to the ER and met with a neurologist. After receiving two cat scans, he learned he had a stroke. Parker had to make some decisions.

"I could have had a clot buster or leave it go as it was because it was a minor incident," said Parker. He decided to leave it as it was and adjust his medications.

Bethany Girtler is a Gundersen nurse who manages the stroke program. She says symptoms range from changes in your balance and vision to weakness in the body and changes in speech.

"We'll see slurring of words or that you won't be able to communicate appropriately," said Girtler. "All of these symptoms come suddenly so you'll have them one minute, don't have them one minute and they'll come the next."

According to Girtler, strokes can happen at any age but they're more common for people 70 and up. She says like many diseases, the older you get the more at risk you are and getting help immediately is critical.

"There are treatments for different types of strokes, whether it's a stroke that you have bleeding in your brain or blockage in your blood flow both types of treatments are extremely time dependent. If they're identified too late, then it can cause significant permanent damage," said Girtler.

Parker feels lucky to be alive. He encourages everyone to go to the ER if they need to.

"People should realize you shouldn't be embarrassed to go to the ER when you have these symptoms," Parker explained. "You need to take action because it won't just affect you. Every member of your family's going to be affected, if you end up with a serious stroke."

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