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Know your stroke risk, doctor urges

Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne, WY) - 5/5/2016

May 05--CHEYENNE -- Heidi Tatum is a young, healthy woman with a husband, two active children and a full-time job.

Surely what was wrong with her Jan. 30, 2015, wasn't a stroke, she thought.

But that's exactly what an MRI showed -- a blood clot on her cerebellum.

Tatum, 40, is the manager of professional practice at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. She has been a registered nurse for 18 years.

On Wednesday, she spoke to 68 people during a Stroke Symposium at CRMC about her own experience after she suffered a stroke in 2015 at age 39.

A stroke is a brain attack that happens when a blockage prevents blood from flowing to the brain or when a blood vessel in or around the brain bursts.

Tatum said she grew up as an active person and was in competitive gymnastics and diving when she was younger.

She also was determined.

"I never took no as a reason not to continue," Tatum said, a quality that helped her in her recovery.

She had none of the traditional signs of a stroke, like high blood pressure, obesity or high cholesterol. Her blood pressure was low, and she eats healthy foods.

But she does have a genetic factor, as her great aunt and grandmother both had strokes. Her other grandmother suffered an aneurysm and died. An aneurysm is a bulge on a blood vessel that ruptures.

The morning of Jan. 30, 2015, started out normal, Tatum said. "I woke up feeling normal, packed my kids' lunch like I normally do," she said.

But she had a horrible pain in the back of her skull that dropped her to her knees.

Her husband wanted her to stay home, but she said she was OK, and he drove her to work.

Tatum felt dizzy at work, but was able to walk and talk. Still, she said she felt something was off.

A nurse friend looked at her and told her she was going to the emergency room because something was wrong.

The nurse noticed Tatum walked with a left slant.

Although she had none of the symptoms of a stroke, an MRI found a blood clot on her cerebellum, she said.

Early intervention like Tatum had is key, Dr. Tracie Caller told the group. Caller is a neurologist and medical director of CRMC's stroke program.

"A lot of times, people wait at home thinking symptoms are going to get better, but when it comes to the brain and the health of the brain tissues, the faster you get here, the faster you will get treated," Caller said.

People who have a stroke and who get to a hospital's emergency department within three hours after the onset of symptoms have a much better prognosis because doctors can provide the best treatment early on, Caller added.

Tatum spent about a week in the hospital, where doctors and nurses monitored her. They did not give her a treatment called TPA because medical professionals decided the risks outweighed the benefits.

Now, she is dizzy sometimes, but she has no other problems. The hardest part is dealing with the fear that develops when she has a headache.

Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death in the U.S. and a leading cause of disability, Caller said. In the United States, about 6.6 million people are survivors of strokes.

Awareness and education are important to help reduce risk factors, Caller said.

High blood pressure is the most important risk factor, she said. Other things that increase the risks of stroke include obesity, high cholesterol, smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, and poor diet.

Genetic causes cannot be prevented.

Caller said more young people are suffering from strokes. Stroke rates have increased about 50 percent among men under age 45, for example.

In older people, stroke rates have declined because of improved treatment for high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Tools to help prevent strokes include:

- Not smoking

- Eating a healthy diet that avoids sugar.

- Exercising for 30 minutes a day, which can be done in 10-minute increments.

- Keeping weight to a body mass index under 25.

- Drinking alcohol in moderation.

Doing at least one of these things can reduce the risk of a stroke by 50 percent, Caller said.

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