The Comforting Trap of Blaming the Victim

An excellent writeup By Heidi Moawad, MD

http://stroke.about.com/od/rehab/fl/The-Comforting-Trap-of-Blaming-the-Victim.htm?nl=1
Our stroke associations have perfected this by only focusing on prevention messages and F.A.S.T.
 F.A.S.T. is a wonderful way to blame the victim. You didn't recognize you had a stroke and get to the hospital fast enough to avail yourself of the medical interventions of stroke. Nevermind tPA hiding behind the curtain with only a 12% efficacy. This may be the best they can do right now but it leads directly to blaming the victim.
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ASA statement;

THINK YOU ARE HAVING A STROKE? CALL 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY!

F.A.S.T. is an easy way to remember the sudden signs of stroke. When you can spot the signs, you'll know that you need to call 9-1-1 for help right away. F.A.S.T. is:

F.          Face Drooping – Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person's smile uneven?

A.      Arm Weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S.        Speech Difficulty – Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like "The sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly?

T.            Time to call 9-1-1 – If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared.

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 NSA statement:

Learn the many warning signs of a stroke. Act FAST and CALL 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY at any sign of a stroke.
Use FAST to remember the warning signs:
F.    FACE:

Ask the person to smile.
Does one side of the face droop?
A.      ARMS:

Ask the person to raise both arms.

Does one arm drift downward?

S.            SPEECH:

Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase.
Is their speech slurred or strange?

T.             TIME:

If you observe any of these signs,
call 9-1-1 immediately. 
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WSO statement;

Stroke Warning Signs

These are the warning signs that someone is having a stroke:

• 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

If you notice one or more of these signs, don't wait. Stroke is a medical emergency.
Call your emergency medical services and get to a hospital right away!