ORLANDO, Fla. — According to the CDC, every year, nearly 800,000 people have a stroke in the United States. During May’s Stroke Awareness Month, doctors at Orlando Health want to lessen those numbers and educate people on the risks of a “Brain Attack”.
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For the first time since Patti Duerst suffered from a stroke in February, she met Dr. Marshall Cress Thursday, who she credits with saving her life.
One night three months ago, Patti woke up with “sea legs”.
“I was thinking what is wrong with me,” Patti said.
She ended up on the floor, with one side of her body paralyzed. Her husband immediately called 911.
An episode of AFIB led to a clot rising out of Patti’s heart and into her brain.
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“We only had the ability to do a thrombectomy, which is what we do for any patient who has a blocked blood vessel in the brain,” Dr. Cress said.
Dr. Cress is the Vice Chairmen of Neurosurgery at ORMC.
He said Patti’s awareness saved her life.
“Symptoms are important,” Dr. Cress said. “If you start having symptoms you think might be a stroke, you need to seek attention as quick as possible.”
Symptoms can be remembered with the acronym F-A-S-T.
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“Facial drooping, arm or leg weakness, speech difficulty, then it’s time to call 911,” Patti said.
Patti is now taking her health into her own hands with daily exercise and a consistent diet.
She hopes sharing her symptoms and her story will help save just one life.
“The staff there kept telling me I was a miracle,” Patti said. “They attributed it to getting prompt medical care.”
Dr. Cress said to decrease your chances of having a stroke he recommends patients lower their blood pressure, exercise, quit smoking, and if they drink, to do so in moderation.
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