TIA's

TIA's, no this is not an aviation term, however, it is a serious medical condition. Flying seems so trivial when we are faced with medical emergencies that effect us and/or our family.  My beautiful Bride had her blood pressure spike which resulted in signs of a stroke.

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is when blood flow to a part of the brain stops for a brief period of time. A person will have stroke-like symptoms for up to 1-2 hours. A TIA is different than a stroke. After a TIA, the blockage breaks up quickly and dissolves. Unlike a stroke, a TIA does not cause brain tissue to die. TIA's do not cause lasting damage to the brain. High blood pressure is the number one risk for TIA's and stroke.

Symptoms begin suddenly, last only a short time (from a few minutes to 1 - 2 hours), and go away completely. They may occur again at a later time. The symptoms of TIA are the same as the symptoms of a stroke and include sudden:

• Abnormal feeling of movement (vertigo) or dizziness
• Change in alertness (sleepiness, less responsive, unconscious, or in a coma)
• Changes in feeling, including touch, pain, temperature, pressure, hearing, and taste
• Confusion or loss of memory
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty writing or reading
• Inability to recognize objects or people
• Lack of coordination and balance, clumsiness, or trouble walking
• Muscle weakness of the face, arm, or leg (usually only on one side of the body)
• Numbness or tingling on one side of the body
• Personality, mood, or emotional changes
• Problems with eyesight (double vision, loss of all or part of vision)
• Trouble speaking or understanding others who are speaking

Learn the many warning signs of a stroke. Act FAST and CALL 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY at any sign of a stroke. Use FAST to remember the warning signs:

Mary is home and doing very well.  Life is back to normal, whatever normal is in our home. The cats are happy and our Italian Mastiff is happy that Mom is back.  I can not tell you how happy I am that Mary is home, with no lasting affects and able to continue with life as we know it. We each got a good scare this week. The need to continue with our revamped diet and add more exercise to our routine hits home even more.