May is Stroke Awareness Month, an affliction that scares most people, according to Cookeville Regional’s Stroke Coordinator.
Randi Stafford said strokes are a common occurrence in the Upper Cumberland. Cookeville Regional sees more than 800 patients per year dealing with a stroke. Stafford said strokes can suddenly drastically change someone’s life.
“One minute, everything is normal, life is fine, and then the very next second, the person may not be able to talk, maybe they can’t see, maybe they can’t move an arm or a leg, so it’s very random,” Stafford said. “The good news with stroke is that we can prevent strokes. Almost 80 percent of strokes can be prevented.”
Stafford said most strokes are caused by high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and atrial fibrillation. Stafford said getting your blood pressure and cholesterol under control while eating a balanced diet are ways to lower the chances of having a stroke.
“We live in the south right, we love biscuits and gravy, and we love sweet tea, and those things are not often great for you, so you don’t have to cut those things completely out, but they should definitely be eaten in moderation,” Stafford said. “Of course, avoid cigarettes, avoid smoking, and then exercise. Just be active during the day.”
Stafford said the recovery process is difficult for most stroke survivors. Stafford said some patients will get 80 percent better, while some patients will only get 20 percent better after a stroke.
“It’s very dependent on the patient’s age, it’s dependent on the location of the stroke, but then we have means here at the hospital,” Stafford said. “You can go to our rehab center. We do physical therapy in the hospital, but those therapies make a big difference in helping patients regain their function.”
85-year-old Cookeville Resident and Stroke Survivor Steve Moore worked as an athletic trainer at Tennessee Tech and worked part-time with the Cookeville EMS service before he had a stroke 27 years ago. Moore said his recovery was very tough to handle.
“It was hard for me to accept the fact that I had a stroke and that I would probably not be able to continue on with life as I knew it, being very active,” Moore said. “You have to learn to accept it, and again, life is as good as you make it.”
Moore said his stroke was caused by a blood clot in his brain. Moore said that because of his stroke, he is now in a wheelchair. Moore said experiencing a stroke and the recovery process is tough on most stroke survivors. Moore said he hopes to encourage other stroke survivors that there is so much to live for after a stroke.
