Be Brave, Be Fearless! What do you know about stroke?

One of the best aspects of my career as a pharmacist is the relationships forged with my patients. I practice with the goal of improving lives. I want to know how they feel- about their meds, their day-to-day life, their pharmacy experience. And I work very hard to commit those things to memory, remembering their medications, regimens, and concerns.

As a crafter, I'm able to let my patients know that we (my pharmacy team) care about them through the cards I create. I used my homework assignment from Summer Card Camp 2 to do just that for a special patient who recently suffered a stroke and is having a hard time adapting to changes in his life post-stroke and rehabilitation.

I adoooore Tim Holtz's stamps!! When Jennifer McGuire gave us this technique with this stamp, albeit an adventurous one to start with, I was all in...after 4 botched attempts I decided to use Ranger Surfaces Specialty Stamping Paper and viola!! I used plain teal cardstock and sponged teal archival ink through a stencil to create the polka dot background. This turned out exactly the way I wanted :)

Here's some important information from the American Heart Association on stroke!

You and your family should learn the warning signs of stroke that are listed below. You may have some or all of them:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, 

   especially on one side of the body

• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding

• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or 

   coordination

• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

What should I do if I suspect a stroke?

- Call 9-1-1 or the emergency medical services (EMS) in 

  your area (fire department or ambulance) immediately. 

  It’s important to get to a hospital right away. 

- Also, check the time so you’ll know when the first 

  symptoms appeared. 

How can I help prevent stroke?

• Don’t smoke, and avoid second-hand smoke.

• Treat high blood pressure, if you have it.

• Eat a healthy diet that’s low in saturated fat, trans fat,  

   cholesterol and salt.

• Be physically active.

• Keep your weight under control.

• Follow your doctor’s orders for taking medicine.

• Control your blood sugar if you have diabetes.

• Get regular medical check-ups.

For more information:

Call 1-800-AHA-USA1 (1-800-242-8721), or visit heart.org  or

1-888-4-STROKE (1-888-478-7653) or visit us at StrokeAssociation.org

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!