http://www.caring.com/blogs/caring-currents en-us 60 im a 37 y/o male im still having breathing problems, 2 hours ago at work i passed out threw up fluid and had convultions for an hour. My heart beats fast and beats hard at times and makes me catch my breath, did i have a heart attack tonight what should i do? butchnreadyforu@yahoo.com Anonymous Sun, 02 Nov 2008 04:36:56 -0000 http://www.caring.com/blogs/caring-currents/heart-attack-do-you-know-the-warning-signs http://www.caring.com/blog_posts/heart-attack-do-you-know-the-warning-signs/comments Anonymous, you make some very excellent points. It's so important to keep the lines of communication open, to try to get your parent out and engaged in the world, and to give your parent as much love and support as you possibly can. I think it's also important to recognize that there's a huge difference between depression and "the blues." As you said, depression is a serious illness, and it may take a lot more than our best intentions to treat it. No doctor who's worth her salt will immediately prescribe antidepressants, although that may end up being a good option. Antidepressants may indeed be mind altering drugs, but depression is a mind-altering illness. We've all been down in the dumps, but depression is much, much more than that. A good doctor will be able to help you and your parent figure out the difference. At the very least, she'll be able to reassure you and your parent that it's just a temporary slump. I also loved what you wrote about this being an opportunity to reach out and connect with your parent. Thank you so much for that. Stephanie Trelogan Sat, 09 Aug 2008 04:23:29 -0000 http://www.caring.com/blogs/caring-currents/link-between-depression-and-stroke http://www.caring.com/blog_posts/link-between-depression-and-stroke/comments This is a very helpful overview of depression and its impact on stroke risk. I have a suggestion. Toward the end of the post you say: "...if your parent or loved one has several of these symptoms for more than two weeks, it's time to call the doctor." I would suggest the the first call should not be to the doctor, but to take the time to listen and discuss your parents concerns every day for a week, to get a real sense of where they are and what they need. The parent should be the first person we connect to ... not the "third person" after calling the doctor. "Iif you notice lethargy and withdrawal from friends, family and activities of daily living in your parent, you should first take some time to sit down and listen to their concerns. Depression symptom also ioften "piling on" ( often a litany of loss) . I would explore opportunities for increased socialization (senior center, friends, religious groups, etc). ...long before I would call the doctor. Depression is serious stuff. But the first line of relief is the opportunity to get what is inside - outside, in a safe nurturing and caring environment. As a family member, I'd try that first. After all, an early sign depression is not a sentence of virtual solitary confinement, for which a physician would prescribe mind altering drugs. It is an opportunity to reach out, and you can both connect in ways you never imagined. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:02:53 -0000 http://www.caring.com/blogs/caring-currents/link-between-depression-and-stroke http://www.caring.com/blog_posts/link-between-depression-and-stroke/comments Thanks for your note, Anonymous. I'll definitely be keeping you posted on the latest news about cardiovascular health. You're right: there's a lot of conflicting information out there. Sometimes it seems like each new recommendation is contradicted by the next! Please let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to know more about. Stephanie Trelogan Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:00:08 -0000 http://www.caring.com/blogs/caring-currents/silent-stroke-another-reason-to-get-serious-about-heart-health http://www.caring.com/blog_posts/silent-stroke-another-reason-to-get-serious-about-heart-health/comments Stephanie, important topic. I hope you'll be writing more about the latest thinking on improving heart health. There's so much new, conflicting information and I'd love help sorting through it all. thanks. Anonymous Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:42:48 -0000 http://www.caring.com/blogs/caring-currents/silent-stroke-another-reason-to-get-serious-about-heart-health http://www.caring.com/blog_posts/silent-stroke-another-reason-to-get-serious-about-heart-health/comments You're so right, DKT. Women may not think they're having heart attacks -- or perhaps even worse, they aren't taken seriously when they seek help. That's why it's important to get the word out. Stephanie Trelogan Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:53:31 -0000 http://www.caring.com/blogs/caring-currents/heart-attack-do-you-know-the-warning-signs http://www.caring.com/blog_posts/heart-attack-do-you-know-the-warning-signs/comments The other BIG problem is denial. It's one thing to know and recognize the symptoms... quite another to act on them. This seems to be especially true for women... and the more a woman is in the role of caregiver (i.e., mom, wife) the more she is likely to put herself last. The stats for women are not encouraging: http://www.smart-heart-living.com/women_and_heart.html DKT Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:48:55 -0000 http://www.caring.com/blogs/caring-currents/heart-attack-do-you-know-the-warning-signs http://www.caring.com/blog_posts/heart-attack-do-you-know-the-warning-signs/comments Thank you for sharing these resources and Web links. As a stroke survivor (10 years ago as of this month), I also have a blog: http://stroke-of-faith.blogspot.com. I am trying to post almost every day during the month of May. Jeff Mon, 19 May 2008 21:48:30 -0000 http://www.caring.com/blogs/caring-currents/link-love-for-stroke-awareness-month http://www.caring.com/blog_posts/link-love-for-stroke-awareness-month/comments I've just discovered Caring.com and I'm truly impressed! What a wonderful resource. Jean Mon, 12 May 2008 17:24:08 -0000 http://www.caring.com/blogs/caring-currents/link-love-for-stroke-awareness-month http://www.caring.com/blog_posts/link-love-for-stroke-awareness-month/comments My mother had Parkinson's Disease, not a stroke, but the illness robbed her of the ability to formulate and articulate meaningful sentences. She often sat rigid and silent, like a stone, except for a soulful look in her eyes that belied the physical evidence. Growing up in the 1930s and 40s, Mom was taught to memorize poetry in her English classes, a practice that was common back then. She developed a lifelong love of poetry. Many a night after dinner, we would position Mom in a comfortable chair, propped on both sides with pillows, and take out a small stack of poetry anthologies. My husband, Harout, who has a beautiful reading voice, would start off the evening by reciting the first line of one of Mom's favorite poems. Quietly, almost imperceptibly, Mom would respond by reciting the second line back to her. Then Harout would take up the ball, so to speak, and recite the thrid line. And so it went, back and forth, till the poem was done. Mom's memory for her beloved poetry was astounding. I like to think our little "game" brought Mom as much pleasure as it gave me. In a world where rigidity reigns, the lilt and motion of that old familiar territory made it almost seem as if Mom was back in the old days, when she could race along on her bicycle, swim at the Y, or dance to her hearts content. -Gwen Gwen Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:02:19 -0000 http://www.caring.com/blogs/caring-currents/when-words-fail-us-creative-strategies-for-coping-with-aphasia http://www.caring.com/blog_posts/when-words-fail-us-creative-strategies-for-coping-with-aphasia/comments I was so happy to read this. After my mother had a stroke last spring, she moved in with us. For the first couple of months she was so depressed becasue she couldn't speak clearly. We started listening to her old records together as a way of "talking" about our past - when I was a child and my father was alive. I think the music really made a difference for her. Her mood improved and she began to look forward to something. Bert Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:42:59 -0000 http://www.caring.com/blogs/caring-currents/music-improves-stroke-recovery http://www.caring.com/blog_posts/music-improves-stroke-recovery/comments