A story from Kansas - but could be almost anywhere

The story about how a Kansas county ranks high in stroke deaths shows the need of stroke awareness and the need for people to know that if stroke signs are present - even just ONE stroke sign - it's time to get to some help.

From the Morning Sun article:

With either type of stroke, immediate treatment is crucial.

“A surprising number of people wait not just hours but days before they seek treatment,” [Dr. Colleen] Lechtenberg said.

“I know people try to stay out of the ER, but they need to come and get checked out if they have stroke symptoms,” [Dr. Timothy] Stebbins said. “I would much rather tell somebody that they have a simple headache, or that we didn’t find anything wrong with them, than have to say, ‘I’m sorry, we can’t do anything now, but we could have several hours ago’. That is heartbreaking.”

He added that even younger people should get to the ER if they experience any stroke symptoms.

“It’s true that stroke is much more common in older people, but you can have a stroke at any time in your life,” Stebbins said. “The body is a complex machine that surprises us all.”