It happened on a Thursday morning.
I was at my office, chatting on the telephone with a client and taking notes with a pen, when I became temporarily unable to speak or write.
My hand, suddenly detached from my control like a marionette with a broken string, dragged the pen across the pad, unable to form the loops and lines of letters
My jaw went slack. I got through the conversation with “uh-huh’s” and “mmm’s,” the only sounds I could make, and my client never knew what was happening to me.
What I had suffered, my family doctor told me later, was a TIA, or Transient Ischemic Attack.
A TIA, which is a temporary decrease of blood flow to the brain, is a warning sign of an impending stroke.
In fact, a stroke is simply an interruption of the blood supply to the brain.
Since fast action can save your life if stroke should strike, you should be aware of these common stroke symptoms:
- Weakness or numbness in an arm or leg, or loss of use of that limb.
- Slurred speech ranging from difficulty in pronouncing words to a total inability to talk.
- Temporary vision problems -- blurring, dimming, or blindness in one eye.
- A temporary inability to understand what others are saying or to make sense of words while reading.
- Tingling or numbness around the mouth, usually restricted to one side.
- Dizziness or a sense of feeling off-balance.
We think of stroke as an old person’s disease, but it’s not.
According to the National Stroke Council, strokes kill 150,000 Americans each year... and leave another 200,000 disabled.
The little-known fact is that one out of three of these stroke victims is under 65.
Today, someone has a stroke in this country every 53 seconds.
Unfortunately for me, when I had my TIA, I was ignorant of both the symptoms and the treatments -- and so I ignored it.
That was the biggest mistake I ever made in my life.
Two months later, I had a full-blown stroke at bedtime (once again, my speech had become slurred and I was dizzy).
Not knowing these were stroke symptoms, I thought I was just tired and went to bed -- another big mistake.
I was hospitalized for 5 days, until my doctors found the right combination of medications to control my blood pressure without side effects.
If I could wave a magic wand and make one change in the world with regards to stroke, it would be to make sure every adult male -- no matter what his age -- knew the early warning signs of stroke and what to do about them.
Well, I don’t have a magic wand.
But I have the next best thing: the power of the Internet.
And I intend to use it to deliver, to as many people as possible, the best known advice on how to (a) prevent a stroke and (b) ensure a swift and full recovery should one strike.
So that what happened to me doesn’t happen to you...
now available online!
After my stroke, I experienced a significant loss of coordination and balance.
It wasn’t a problem when walking.
But in sports and more strenuous activities, it was a real spoiler.
For instance, during a guided hike with my family in a nature preserve, the rugged naturalist leading the group seemed puzzled that I was hesitant to cross a stream over slippery stones.
“He had a stroke,” my wife told him loudly enough for everyone in the group to hear, turn their heads, and stare.
You can imagine my humiliation … especially since I was only 42 years old at the time.
Determined not to let my stroke lead to permanent disability, I hired a top medical writer and researcher, Robyn Locke, to find everything she could on stroke.
Not only the exercises and other steps I could take to ensure a full recovery – but also the preventative measures that would help prevent me from ever having another stroke again.
I followed Robyn’s research findings for many months.
Did they work?
Beautifully: I’ve recovered to the point where, if you met me, you wouldn’t know that I had a stroke: my speech and manual dexterity have returned to their normal healthy state.
Now, as I said earlier, I don’t have a magic wand to protect you from stroke or help you recover from it – as much as I wish I did.
But I can offer you the next best thing...
Your own personal copy of the stroke prevention and recovery research report Robyn prepared for me after my illness.
I paid over a thousand dollars for this research report -- but now, it is yours for a tiny fraction of that cost.
Our new 101-page consumer’s guide, Preventing and Recovering from a Stroke, can help you prevent stroke and stay healthy.
And if you’ve already had a stroke, can help you achieve a speedy and thorough recovery.
I urge you to examine Robyn’s report carefully, for it is quick-reading, clear, informative, and packed with expert advice.
Including:
- Overweight? This tool enables you to quickly calculate how much your weight is putting you at risk for cardiovascular and related diseases. It’s on page 67.
- The 6 most commonly prescribed drugs for stroke prevention. Can your pharmacist name them all? Page 73.
- The surprising facts about whether you can resume your sex life after you’ve had a stroke. Page 28.
- The 6 most common warning signs that you may be at risk for having a stroke... and 4 others you may not know about. Page 11.
- Why the greatest danger of you having a stroke may be located in your neck – and the specialized medical test that can detect whether you have the condition. Page 36.
- The one thing you MUST do if you are having a stroke -- or think you could be. It’s absolutely vital and could save your life. Page 11.
- The 9 biggest risk factors for stroke – and the 2 that are totally under your control. Page 60.
- You can enjoy a 40% lower risk of dying from a stroke by eating this delicious fruit you can pick up at your local supermarket tonight. Page 70.
- Can you decrease your chances of having a stroke by moving to another part of the country? See page 87 for the shocking answer.
- Little-known physical therapy “trick” can restore mobility to paralyzed limbs in more than 84% of stroke victims. Page 50.
- Can learning kung fu make you less likely to have a stroke? Page 62.
- Why stroke patients often get bed sores – and an easy way to prevent it. Page 30.
- The 3 types of fat you should avoid to help make sure you don’t get cardiovascular disease – and the foods you should not eat if you want to stay clear of them. Page 68.
- 4 critical steps for recovering from a stroke. Plus: 5 ways to determine how likely you are to regain full speech, mobility, and mental function. Starts on page 45.
- How to find a qualified physical therapist in your town who will accept your health insurance as payment. Page 91.
- Best-tasting salt substitutes for people with high blood pressure who don’t want it to go even higher. Page 69.
- What women age 35 need to know about the connection between taking birth control pills and increasing your risk for ischemic stroke. Page 72.
- The common addiction that makes you 6 times more likely to have a stroke than people who don’t have this bad habit. Page 58.
- 6 proven ways to dissolve dangerous blood clots fast. Page 44.
- How to monitor your own blood pressure at home – without help from a doctor or nurse. Page 57.
- Can biofeedback technology enable stroke victims to regain their balance? Page 50.
- Simple operation performed to prevent stroke can reduce your risk by up to 80% or more. Are you a candidate? Page 43.
- Why you may not want to allow your doctor to use a catheter when testing you for stroke. Page 36.
- Did you know that low blood sugar levels can cause symptoms that mimic a stroke? Simple blood test shows what the real problem is. Page 41.
- 88% of strokes are caused by a blood clot in the brain. But here’s why you could have a stroke even if you don’t get a blood clot. Page 12.
- 6 steps you can take to live longer and stay free of disease. Page 77.
- The one lifestyle change that can put you at 40% lower risk of having a stroke than your friends and neighbors who don’t live this way. Page 63.
- Are you a couch potato? This incredibly effective exercise can significantly lower your risk of having stroke – and you’ll never have to visit the gym, run, or lift weights. Page 64.
- 5 ways to get more fiber in your diet and protect yourself against cardiovascular illness. Page 71.
- Are stroke victims more at risk for bone fractures from falls than other people their age? The surprising answer. Page 30.
- 4 ways to ensure the safety of a stroke victim when he returns home from the hospital. Page 55.
- What common – and controllable – medical condition causes 12.7 million strokes worldwide each year? Page 86.
- And so much more...
To order Preventing and Recovering from a Stroke on a risk-free 90 day trial basis, just click below now:
if you think you are having a stroke...
you are in danger every minute you delay!
I don’t have space here to describe the entire contents of Robyn’s health report on preventing and recovering from stroke.
But there is one vital area I want to share with you right now, so you don’t have to wait to read her report – and instead can get this vital health information right here, for free.
On page 43 of Preventing & Recovering from a Stroke, Robyn discusses an important new stroke drug -- TPA, or “Tissue Plasminogen Activator.”
If you’re having any of the stroke symptoms described above, you must immediately call your doctor or 911 -- and have someone drive you straight to the emergency room.
Why?
Because if you’re indeed having a stroke, a quick trip to the ER, where your stroke can be diagnosed and treated with TPA, can get it under control -- and minimize or eliminate any serious long-term damage.
When given within 3 hours after the stroke starts, TPA can actually reverse paralysis and cause vision to return.
Dr. Jesse Weinberger, a neurologist specializing in stroke at Mount Sinai Medical Center, stresses that speed of treatment is critical.
“TPA can reduce risk of damage from stroke by 50 percent, but only 1 percent of stroke patients make it to the hospital in time for it to be effective,” says Dr. Weinberger.
When in doubt, go to the ER anyway. If it’s not stroke, the worst that happened is you wasted a few hours.
“But I’m never going to have a stroke!”
Listen: I didn’t think I was going to have a stroke either.
I was way too young, and my EKG and blood pressure had always tested normal.
What I didn’t realize is that many stroke victims have no visible symptoms.
In 1998, for example, 21.8 million people had “silent strokes” -- blockage or rupture of a blood vessel causing injury to the brain without discernible symptoms.
Sometimes silent stroke results in impaired memory, which can be mistakenly attributed to Alzheimer’s disease.
To prevent these silent strokes before they happen, an annual check-up is critical.
“The main thing is to control risk factors before stroke strikes,” says Dr. Weinberger, who estimates that half of all strokes are preventable.
The starting point is to control blood pressure, universally recognized as a major risk factor for stroke.
According to Dr. Weinberger, simply reducing blood pressure from 130/90 to 120/80 can cut the risk of stroke in half for a younger person.
In addition to checking blood pressure, men should have an electrocardiogram at their annual physical. Your doctor should check your EKG for atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation (heart spasms) can cause blood to pool in the heart, where it coagulates. Clots break off from the coagulated blood and then travel up through the arteries to the brain.
When he sees atrial fibrillation, Dr. Weinberger often prescribes a mild blood thinner, which can cut stroke risk in these cases by 75 percent in older men.
The other important check is for the doctor to listen to nodes on your neck for blockage in the carotid artery. Such blockages cause a distinct noise detectable in 50 percent of patients.
If Dr. Weinberger finds blockage in this artery, he again prescribes a mild blood thinner and recommends reduction of cholesterol. If the blockage in the carotid artery is severe -- greater than 70 percent -- surgery can cut the risk of stroke in half, he says.
these simple but important steps:
Whether your exam shows you to be at risk for stroke or not, there are steps you can take to improve cardiovascular health and lower your chances of suffering from stroke and other heart illnesses.
After my stroke, Dr. Alan Grossman, my cardiologist, gave me advice that was simple and expected….
Eat less, lose weight, go on a low-fat and low-sodium diet, avoid caffeine, lower my cholesterol, and exercise more.
(He was glad I didn’t smoke, since smoking increases your risk of stroke and other cardiovascular illness.)
Fortunately for me, a recent nominee to the Couch Potato Hall of Fame, you don’t have to work out like the cover model on Men’s Health magazine to get the cardiovascular benefits from exercise you need.
Dr. Weinberger says a brisk walk for half an hour a day, four days a week, is sufficient to reduce your risk of stroke.
Nutritional supplements may also be just what the doctor ordered.
Dr. Grossman told me to take 400 micrograms a day of folic acid to lower my slightly elevated homocysteine level of 10 micromoles per liter (it should not exceed 9) -- a condition known to increase risk of cardiovascular illness.
Dr. Weinberger recommends supplementing with vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 in addition to the folic acid.
He cites a New England Journal of Medicine study showing that increasing intake of folic acid by just 200 micrograms daily can reduce plasma homocysteine concentration by 4 micromoles per liter, significantly lowering the risk of vascular disease.
Examine it risk-free at home for a full 3 months
Quite frankly, there’s no other manual on preventing and recovering from a stroke like this one.
You would have to pay over a thousand dollars to duplicate the material in this manual – or spend countless hours scouring library bookshelves, medical journals, and the web.
This is the perfect opportunity to get the information you need right now, in the privacy of your own home!
How do you put a price on what it’s worth to you to be able to make sure you never have a stroke?
Or, if you’ve had one, on restoring your speech, balance, and movement to their highest functioning level possible?
When I had my stroke, the hospital bill ran into many thousands of dollars.
Even though insurance covered most of the charges, my out-of-pocket costs were many hundreds of dollars – not to mention more than $10,000 in lost income from missing work.
Then there are the countless hours of physical therapy – all unpleasant and time consuming … prescription medications... follow-up doctor visits.
But Preventing and Recovering from a Stroke won’t cost you $10,000, $1,000 or even $100.
We’re charging just $39 for our Preventing and Recovering from a Stroke consumer’s guide.
That’s less than you’d spend on just one visit to a doctor’s office.
And, if you’re not fully satisfied with our research report, you don’t pay even $39. You pay us NOTHING. Here’s why...
Your guarantee of value
Our personal objective is to give you more in everyday practical use than we ask in cash value. That’s why you get our risk-free, 90-day money-back guarantee.
Here’s how it works. As soon as you download Preventing and Recovering from a Stroke, examine it carefully.
Then, if you’re not convinced that Preventing and Recovering from a Stroke is an invaluable reference for anyone who wants to avoid having a stroke – or maximize his or her chances of a full recovery from one – simply let us know within 90 days.
We will give you a prompt and full refund... no questions asked.
If you are not benefiting from this material, we don’t want your money. It’s that simple.
Just one stroke can leave you with a life-long disability
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders reports that there 700,000 strokes each year in the United States … with 160,000 deaths attributed to stroke-related causes.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America -- and even if you survive, stroke causes more serious long-term disabilities than any other disease on the planet.
For instance, since my stroke, my balance has never been the same. I can’t go up on my roof to put up the Christmas lights … and even riding a bicycle, once easy, is now difficult for me.
Stroke is often called the “silent killer”... because it can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time.
So don’t lose any more precious time with indecision.
Examine our guide in the privacy of your home for a full THREE MONTHS.
Then decide whether you want to keep it.
I can’t think of a fairer … or less risky... way for you to protect yourself and your loved one from stroke and its debilitating effects.
So what are you waiting for?
To order Preventing and Recovering from a Stroke on a risk-free 90-day trial basis, just click below now:
Yours for a long, healthy life,
Bob Bly, CTC Publishing