I just got done reading this from the Bluesman's blog, and it reminds me of the time my Mom had a stroke and it wasnt till hours later that we understood what was happening to her.
My Mom had come up around noon to have lunch with our family and we all noticed that she wasnt herself, but she said she just wasn't feeling good. So we continued through our lunch, but I was getting really concerned since it looked like once side of her face was lower and she was pretty much silent throughout the meal, we ended up eating and we all said to my father that he needs to take her to the hospital now and have her checked out. She apparently had a stroke early in the morning and by the time my father got her to the hospital, she lost one side of her body. She never recovered the use of her one arm.
So, I'm posting this as well to spread the awareness about the symptoms and warnings signs of a Stroke.
STR + tongue
Blood Clots/Stroke - They Now Have a Fourth Indicator, the Tongue 
STROKE: Remember these Three Letters....S.T.R.
My nurse friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. This is just a social service, to spread the word around, or for that matter, these 3 words around.
If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously...just read the following short story:
Stroke Identification:
During a BBQ, a lady stumbled and took a little fall. She assured everyone that she was fine (They offered to call the paramedics). She said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.
They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, she went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.
Her husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital. A short while later, she passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps the poor lady would still be around today. Some may not die and may end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.
It only takes a minute to read this...
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
Recognising a Stroke:
Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, S.T.R. Read further & Learn this!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK
(and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE, coherently).
R* Ask the person to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
If the person has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call for the doctor immediately.
And now a new Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue
Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue... If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.
A cardiologist says if everyone who gets to read this and inform others, you can bet that some lives may be saved. Remember these words, STR & the Tongue.
