Stroke Care: Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

By Tammy White

According to the National Stroke Association, stroke kills nearly 140,000 individuals each year. Because stroke affects blood flow to the brain, rapid and effective treatment can save lives and reduce the chances of potential long-term damage.

It is essential to help prevent a stroke from occurring by seeking medical treatment quickly at the first onset of symptoms. Everyone should be able to recognize stroke symptoms and act quickly.

Common stroke symptoms in both men and women include sudden:

• Numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg — especially on one side of the body
• Confusion, trouble speaking, or understanding
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Severe headache with no known cause

Stroke survivors Miriam Blackmon and Lesa McCormick are testaments to the impact of timely stroke care from McLeod Health, equipped to provide care to patients with acute stroke symptoms who seek treatment from the emergency department.

Miriam Blackmon
Miriam Blackmon and her family are thankful for the lifesaving stroke care provided by McLeod Health Clarendon and McLeod Regional Medical Center. Fortunately, her family recognized Miriam's stroke symptoms and called 911 to quickly begin her treatment. Now fully recovered, Miriam enjoys her time on the swing whenever she visits her daughter Linda McElveen in New Zion. 

Click here to watch Miriam's story.

Lesa McCormick
Thanks to the support of her family, her church and McLeod Vascular Surgeon Dr. Carmen Piccolo, stroke survivor Lesa McCormick from Chesterfield, South Carolina, has resumed her responsibilities as president of the Mount Mary Baptist Church gospel choir. "Based on my MRI scans which showed a very significant stroke, Dr. Piccolo has been amazed at how well I have recovered," said Lesa. 

Click here to watch Lesa's story.