Waking up with a headache and a feeling of dizziness is nothing to worry about the day after a well -watered evening. But for Nestor Montalvo, a 61 -year -old American, these symptoms had nothing to do with a hangover. The man from New York was in the process of a stroke (AVC), who had perhaps started hours earlier in his sleep.
“Oh my God, I’m going to die”
Nestor began to worry when he decided to get up. “”Everything started to turn. I wanted to get up and fell “he recalls. “”I did not understand what was going on. I couldn’t understand. I did not understand why I felt that “he told the media CBS News. His wife then decides to call 911 (the equivalent of 15 in France).
Once there, the paramedics announce to Nestor that he is a stroke. In the emergency room, the sixties says he heard a doctor saying to his daughter, a state -certified nurse, that he had only 15 % of survival. “”I said to myself: Oh my God, I’m going to die. I didn’t even have time to say goodbye to anyone “recalls the former retired police officer.
Nestor Montalvo made an ischemic stroke, also called cerebral infarction. It occurs when the blood flow towards the brain is interrupted because of a clogged vessel (by a clot) or broken. In this case, it was an obstruction. Brain cells are no longer fed with oxygen and nutrients, there is a significant risk of lesions. The longer a stroke remains untreated, the more serious the damage can be. However, no one had known for how long the man suffered from a stroke because the symptoms were already present when he wakes up.
Very important neurological sequelae
Questioned by CBS News, the emergency room who took care of Nestor Montalvo said that his patient had neurological deficits “very important “. “”We could see that something was wrong “said Dr. Cini Thayil. Fortunately, the management was fast. A scanner was made 15 minutes after arriving at the emergency room and shortly after a thrombolytic medication was administered. Later, the retiree underwent another minor intervention to ensure the disappearance of the clot. “”I could have been a vegetable, I could have died “he said Mr. Mountalvo. “”But they saved my life “.
A long path to healing
Despite fast management, Nestor’s condition remains worrying. His vocal cords sagged and he had to undergo a tracheotomy to breathe. At that time, he can neither speak nor swallow because of the tubes.
For 6 weeks, he was accompanied by an intensive care speech therapist in the hospital. This rehabilitation (one hour a day) stimulated the muscles of his throat, those which contribute to food and swallowing. The man also underwent three interventions in the throat. Two months after the stroke, the father was able to have a normal meal during Thanksgiving. Today, a year after stroke, he can speak and eat normally but uses a rod to walk.
What are the alert signs of the stroke?
It is important to know the alert signs of the stroke to give the alert quickly. Even if they are transient, the following symptoms should be taken seriously:
- A distorted mouth;
- A weakness on one side of the body, arms or leg;
- Speech disturbances;
- Balance disorders;
- Intense headaches;
- A decrease in vision (double vision, blurred or loss of sight of an eye).