How to Save a Life
Blog post written by Stacey Miller, Government and Community Liaison, Inova Loudoun Hospital
To Learn More about the Health & Wellness Business Initiative at the Loudoun Chamber, click here.
That song by The Fray sneaks into my head sometimes because I work for a hospital and every day I see and hear about life saving events happening just down the hall from my office. Lucky for me, I have a job that lets me share my passion and love for my hospital home. I often talk proudly about the people I work with though I am the first to say “I am not clinical” as if to make it known I don’t do the real work there. But here’s the thing, clinical or not, we all have the capability to save a life or help to avoid further complications when an emergency is happening. It’s all about educating yourself on what to look for and what to do.
On Tuesday, I was in a meeting and I noticed one of the attendees (and my friend) seemed different. She wasn’t herself. I chalked it up to the early morning hour, but she soon made her way to me and told me she thinks she had a stroke.
In that split second I knew what to do. It has been drilled into my head that it is my responsibility to know the signs and symptoms of stroke and know what to do if you suspect a patient is having a stroke. In this case, I had to dismiss the fact that the friend standing in front of me was in her 30’s. Trust me, your mind doesn’t want to believe that someone so young could be experiencing this. None-the-less, I thought about
F.A.S.T:
Face Drooping, Arm Weakness, Speech Difficulty, Time to call 911
I immediately determined she had experienced or was experiencing 4 out of the 5 of these symptoms:
I knew she needed to go to our ER and I would call ahead. She was reluctant. She has a tendency to be stubborn, but I was more stubborn this time. She kept saying that she was embarrassed and probably just needed to go to an urgent care or go home and rest, it was probably nothing. How many times do we all think that? How many times do we fear that the outcome of an ER visit will be that we are ok? We need to get over that – but that is a topic for another day.
Come to find out my beautiful young friend suffered two small strokes. She now knows how it happened, is better educated about her condition and thankfully is on the mend and home now. I am so grateful to everyone who took care of her. Once again the passion and love for “my” hospital was justified.
Did I actually save her life? – Not really.
Did I know that time is critical and that early treatment is associated with better outcomes, thus helping her avoid further complications? – Yes and Maybe.
Did I know what my responsibility was in this situation? – Yes.
Could anyone have helped in this situation? – Yes.
Spot a stroke F.A.S.T – it could save a life, possibly yours!
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To Learn More about the Health & Wellness Business Initiative at the Loudoun Chamber, click here.
Want to Learn More?
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– Join the Challenge! The Chamber’s Healthy Business Challenge is for everyone! No matter your company size, you can be recognized for your wellness efforts! The award will garner you company exposure on the chamber’s Web site, in eNewsletters, and in local newspapers. Not to mention, the placard and physical award are great for PR and employee recruitment! The 2017 Challenge will begin in January so stay tuned.