{"id":24076,"date":"2019-05-17T09:03:09","date_gmt":"2019-05-17T15:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=24076"},"modified":"2025-03-07T08:56:13","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T15:56:13","slug":"surviving-a-stroke-at-40","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/surviving-a-stroke-at-40\/","title":{"rendered":"Surviving a stroke at 40"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Mom
Samantha Thurston enjoys dinner with her teenage daughter, Jessi. Thurston had a stroke at 40, but though young, she still knew the signs and got the help she needed almost immediately. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The morning started off like any other for 40-year-old Samantha Thurston, a professional assistant for a northern Colorado real-estate agent. As she showered, though, something about her felt odd.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was such a weird feeling that I can\u2019t describe,\u201d she said. \u201cI had a jumbled song in my head. I couldn\u2019t make it out. It was a bunch of words making no sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thurston had not long before read an article about strokes and she began a self- assessment. Her balance and vision were fine. Neither arm felt weak. She finished showering and headed to the vanity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI looked in the mirror and stuck my tongue out,\u201d she said. \u201cI was thinking, \u2018Am I having a stroke?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The stroke article Thurston had read stressed the importance of knowing stroke symptoms, especially the acronym FAST \u2014\u00a0F<\/strong>ace, A<\/strong>rms, S<\/strong>peech, and T<\/strong>ime.<\/p>\n

She put on her robe and headed downstairs to talk to her nephew.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was trying to ask him if he had football practice that morning, but I couldn\u2019t finish the sentence,\u201d Thurston said.<\/p>\n

She turned to her sister-in-law, Kindra. \u201cI can\u2019t, I can\u2019t,\u201d she kept saying her over and over. Nothing else would come out.<\/p>\n

Slurred and jumbled speech is one of the signs of a stroke and only one sign of a stroke is needed to take action. Kindra, seeing the fear in her sister-in-law\u2019s face, called 911.<\/p>\n

Everyone should know stroke signs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

After the age of 25<\/a>, one in four people will experience a stroke in their lifetime.<\/p>\n

\u201cStroke is more common in older people, but we are seeing an increase in the risk for much younger people now,\u201d said Melinda Tafoya, stroke coordinator for UCHealth in northern Colorado. \u201cIt\u2019s never too early to start looking at ways to decrease your risk of stroke.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thurston, like many parents of teenagers, was busy at the time running kids to friends\u2019 houses and to after-school practices. She also worked part-time. A year earlier, she became more aware of stroke symptoms after experiencing dizziness. A CT scan showed spots on her brain. She was diagnosed with cavernous malformation<\/a>, a congenital vascular problem that occurs in the brain and\/or spine. These malformations are made of fragile arteries and veins that can leak small amounts of blood and cause large brain hemorrhages, i.e., hemorrhagic strokes.<\/p>\n

\"family
Samantha Thurston, second from left, and her husband, Scott, right, help their son, Parker, with homework, while their daughter, Jessi, helps make dinner. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dial, don\u2019t drive<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The brain needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients to work well. If blood supply is stopped even for a short time, brain damage can occur. An estimated 1.9 million brain neurons die every minute that a stroke<\/a> goes untreated.<\/p>\n

Thurston\u2019s sister did the right thing by calling 911 rather than trying to take her sister to the hospital, according to Tim Seidel, director of UCHealth Emergency Medical Services.<\/p>\n

Paramedics are trained to recognize stroke symptoms and can alert the correct emergency room that a patient is coming.<\/p>\n

\"family
Jessi Thurston, left, and her mom, Samantha, right, set the table for dinner while Parker, back left, gets help with homework from his father, Scott. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thurston was taken to UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital, a primary stroke center, in Fort Collins. A CT scan confirmed a stroke and an MRI showed that her cavernous malformation was not just a few spots but about 20 throughout her brain and brain stem. One had \u00a0weakened and began to bleed in the area that affects speech.<\/p>\n

The stroke team<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When a stroke alert is called at these hospitals, a team comprised of a neurologist, an ER physician, stroke coordinator, pharmacist, nurses and technicians assembles immediately and meets the patient as they are taken straight to a CT scanner where a treatment decision can be made as quickly as possible, Tafoya said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember the tech holding my leg, telling me she was there and that I was going to be OK,\u201d she said. \u201cThat was so comforting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eventually Thurston\u2019s body would absorb the accumulated blood in her brain, but she needed to be closely monitored in the ICU for any neurological changes. Brain swelling and increased intracranial pressure can cause further damage and seizures, and needs to be treated quickly.She was out of the hospital in just a few days and didn\u2019t have any visible deficits from the stroke, but emotionally, she was hurting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was scared it would happen again or take my life,\u201d Thurston said.<\/p>\n

Thurston\u2019s condition will not go away, which means her risk of having another stroke won\u2019t either.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegardless of your physical challenges after a stroke, the emotional piece is still there,\u201d she said. \u201cI had lost myself. I had let fear overcome me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"family
The Thurston family, from left, Scott, Jessi, Samantha and Parker. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Finding support<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Thurston began researching support groups<\/a> and found one in Denver that helps younger stroke survivors. She attended a few times, but the commute was too much. So she decided to attend a local support group in Fort Collins. Although the members were older, she found that age didn\u2019t matter much.<\/p>\n

\u201cStrokes are different for every person, and that can make people feel like they are the only one going through it,\u201d Tafoya said. \u201cEven though they are all different, there are a lot of things that are the same, and a support group provides that community that can relate to one another, sharing how they have adapted and learning how others have managed their new obstacles.\u201d<\/p>\n

UCHealth\u2019s Life After Stroke Support Group<\/a> meets monthly in Fort Collins and Loveland and is open to stroke survivors and caregivers. Each month, there is a set curriculum. Sessions begin with education followed by discussions for survivors and caregivers to talk about their unique challenges.<\/p>\n

Getting more from the group<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"husband
Samantha Thurston with her husband, Scott. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Out of that group, Thurston found a therapist to help her with anxiety and fears. Her husband was also instrumental in her recovery.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe analyzes and rationalizes things, so when I\u2019m having anxiety, he\u2019s good at asking me to break down exactly what it is I\u2019m afraid of,\u201d she said. \u201cI started to realize that everyone has something going on. I wanted to be present for my kids and my husband.<\/p>\n

When UCHealth began to pilot a new program, SSTAR \u2013 Stroke Survivors Taking Aim at Recovery <\/a>\u00a0at UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital, Tafoya asked Thurston to participate.<\/p>\n

STARRS<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Sam
Samantha Thurston, a stroke survivor, now volunteers for UCHealth’s SSTAR program at PVH, which has her talking to new stroke survivors. Photo by UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SSTAR is a volunteer program<\/a> in which stroke survivors meet one-on-one with patients and their families after they\u2019ve experienced a stroke. UCHealth\u2019s University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora and Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs also offer the program.<\/p>\n

Volunteers must be at least one year out from their stroke and willing to be good listeners and share their own stroke experience. Volunteers are trained in patient privacy.<\/p>\n

Closing gaps, making connections<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cThis program is a great way to make a connection with these patients before they leave the hospital, and it is a good way to invite them into the support group,\u201d Tafoya said.<\/p>\n

Thurston, who had a stroke two years ago, introduces herself as Sam, a volunteer and stroke survivor, when she walks into a patient\u2019s room.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d they always ask, surprised to see such a young stroke survivor.<\/p>\n

She asks them how they are doing and if she can help them with anything. Almost immediately she can tell if the patient wants to be alone, but many times, patients want to talk.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talk about whatever they want to talk about,\u201d she said. \u201cSometimes it\u2019s about their event, sometimes they want to know my story, but sometimes they just want to talk to forget about the thought that they are here and had a stroke.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thurston cannot answer medical questions, but she can share her experiences as a stroke survivor. She encourages them to go to the support group.<\/p>\n

\"family
The Thurston family, from left, Scott, Jessi, Samantha and Parker. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Giving back what she can<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s encouraging to see someone who\u2019s walked in your shoes,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n

After a stroke, Thurston said, it is important to have someone to talk to who understands and that\u2019s what Thurston and three other stroke survivor volunteers provide.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see that fear. I remember being there. I want them to know they are not alone. I want to give them hope,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The morning started off like any other for 40-year-old Samantha Thurston, a professional assistant for a northern Colorado real-estate agent. As she showered, though, something about her felt odd. \u201cIt was such a weird feeling that I can\u2019t describe,\u201d she said. \u201cI had a jumbled song in my head. I couldn\u2019t make it out. It […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2164,"featured_media":24086,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[235,3077,184,869],"class_list":["post-24076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-emergency-care","tag-ems","tag-neurology","tag-stroke-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSurviving a stroke at 40 - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Even at 40, she knew the signs of a stroke and called for help immediately. 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