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How to Save a Life

Hello Members, we got this email from one of our tutors and thought it is worth passing on to you all.

Subject: Fw: Remember S.T.R.

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters.... S.T.R.

A nurse sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree.

If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .....she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die.... they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke... totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Remember the '3' steps, STR. Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S Ask the individual to SMILE.

T Ask the person to TALK and SPE AK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently, i.e. It is sunny out today).

R Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 000 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

NEW SIGN OF A STROKE -- Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other , that is also an indication of a stroke.

A cardiologist says if everyone passes this to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

I passed it on... will you?

Cheers, Marcus.

Quotes of Note

[1] I found the attached quote and thought it would be apposite?

Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.
Abigail Adams (1744 - 1818)

Marian J

[2]My favourite adage for teachers

I hear and I forget,
I see and I remember,
I do and I understand.
(attrib. to Confucious)

Bernard

[3]

Laugh. Smile. Have fun. Whatever you do, enjoy it.
Life is difficult, but it is not a chore. Make it an adventure. Make it fun. There is joy to be found everywhere you look. There is pleasure in every moment.
Work can be just as fun as play. And it doesn't really matter what you do. Attitude is the key. Decide to enjoy yourself, and you will. Don't let others dictate to you what is fun and what is dreary.
Find enjoyment where you are. Imagine for a moment how much more effective you could be, in whatever you choose to do, if you truly enjoyed it. Pleasure exists for a reason -- to draw you toward things. Find joy in the activities that bring success, and you'll be continually drawn toward a life of accomplishment. Don't wait for success to bring pleasure to your life -- let the pleasure bring success.
Have fun working hard, and watch all the good things happen.

Webmaster

U3A - a truly worthwhile experience!

Until quite recently I only had a vague idea what U3A was actually about. And, as I wasn’t very interested anyway, I couldn’t see any point in finding out…. Then, during U3A’s Christmas break last year, arrangements were made to take some of the courses to Brookfield at Margate. I was prodded by my family to go along. They were convinced that I was in danger of turning into the bad-tempered hermit of Mountain River, whose only source of social interaction - apart from testy exchanges with a bewildered spouse - was with a herd of smelly, plip-plopping cows in the paddock next door and an irritable family of scavenging possums visiting the back garden at dusk. As they were often the only visitors to our isolated cottage, perhaps they had a point. Sitting on the back porch receiving spiritual invigoration from the sight of the noble profile of Sleeping Beauty mountain obviously didn’t count!

So reluctantly I went along to Brookfield where a group of U3A stalwarts had assembled. Over soup and coffee I decided that their conversation was much more stimulating than that of the plip-plopping cows. And they certainly were a heck of a sight more friendly than the possums. And the soup and coffee wasn’t bad either!

What happened after was perhaps inevitable. The new term at Kingston’s U3A found me enrolled not for ONE but TWO classes. Some family members were hyperventilating after this momentous decision!

I’m now entering the last term of the year and will definitely be coming back for more in 2008. But coming back for what? Stimulating courses? Pleasant tutors? Of course. But perhaps most of all I’ll be coming back for the people, for the students - to me the most important commodity that U3A has to offer. Some attend supported by walking sticks and walking frames. Others still retaining their youthful spring and bounce, but all bright, cheerful, friendly and helpful. Smiles and nods abound. Names remembered. And their genuine concern for each other’s well-being is heart warming. These senior citizens have amazed and inspired me.

It is the enthusiasm and fun that they bring to their classes that makes attending U3A a truly worthwhile experience. And the knowledge of years gathered together in just one classroom can ignite a zest for life that, for some, has seemed irretrievably lost.

Now, I find the cows pleasant but boring. The possums downright rude. As for my husband, he’s thankful that the bad-tempered hermit seems to have disappeared. Just to make sure, he’s suggested that I enrol for a few extra courses. You know, that’s what I think I’ll do ….

Margaret Richardson

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this page last updated - 21 October 09