CREMONA – For Omar53 years old, technical employee, theStroke was the last thought. «It’s strange how everything in life can change in an instant, on a normal Friday morning”, he explains emotionally. Barely a month has passed since that day and retracing what happened is not easy. «I remember that it was ten o’clock, I was in the office, as always sitting at my desk, calm. I reached out to grab a document and I fell off my chair». The sudden thud alarmed colleagues: they immediately understand that it is something serious and they call 112, “I heard their voices but I couldn’t move or speak.”
THE AWAKENING AND THE AWARENESS OF LIFE SAVED
Omar’s memory is interrupted for a few hours; at thirteen he wakes up in a bed in the Stroke Unit of the Neurology of Cremona, but he doesn’t know why. The doctors tell him to try never to close his eyes and he tries. Awareness comes the next day when he asks a nurse what happened? «He had a stroke. He feels like getting up?» «I counted to ten and found myself standing».
«Today I can say I feel good. I will never stop thanking my colleagues, the Red Cross volunteers, the doctors and nurses at the Cremona hospital: I realized that the sum of everyone’s actions saved my life».
Being back in the ward on World Stroke Day is meant to be a gesture of gratitude and hope, «I greatly appreciated the ability of the health workers to interveneexplain to me what was happening and to stay next to me and my wife Mariagrazia in such a difficult moment, it wasn’t obvious» – conclude Omar.
«ALMOST TWO THOUSAND NEURONS ARE LOST PER MINUTE», ACT QUICKLY
«Every minute that passes from the moment of the acute event 1,900 thousand neurons are lost – explains Alessia Giossi (referent neurologist of the Stoke Unit in Cremona). The time factor is fundamental and Omar’s story proves it.” The patient arrived at the hospital from a town in the Lodi area with recognizable symptoms: crooked mouth, he did not speak and did not move the left side of his body. «His condition was very serious. The CT scan immediately highlighted the complexity: two closed vessels, a dissection in the carotid artery and an embolus in the right middle cerebral artery. The neuroradiology team – led by Claudia Ambrosi – performed a thrombectomy, unblocking the vessels and inserting a carotid stent to restore blood flow.
PASSWORD: «STROKE CODE»
Il Code Hits it is a kind of password, a key that opens the doors to the patient and guarantees the chain activation of a preferential lane inside the hospital: «What needs to be done is done immediately – adds Giossi -. Areu’s health workers send a pre-notification to the hospital from the area, so even the ambulance transport time serves to prepare for act quickly».
It is true, together we are stronger than Stroke because I am the one to put the Stroke Code into practice several specialists and nurses: «by the 112 staff (Areu) and the emergency room, to neurology, neuroradiology, anesthesia and physiotherapy operators”. A consolidated multidisciplinary path that sees Neurology directed by Stefano Gipponi reference center for southern Lombardy. «It is not always necessary to resort to thrombectomy surgery – adds Giossi. Generally, as soon as the patient arrives at the hospital, we proceed with thrombolysis, i.e. the injection into a vein of a drug that dissolves the thrombus. Every year there are approximately 60 patients treated in Cremona with this method».
IN ITALY IT AFFECTS 185 THOUSAND PEOPLE EVERY YEAR
Stroke is a sudden eventit can be prevented through a correct lifestylenutrition, movement. Hypertension, obesity, diabetes, smoking and alcohol abuse are among the main ones risk factorsbut there may also be a genetic predisposition. Every year in In Italy over 185 thousand people are affected by stroke80% are new cases while the rest are relapses.
Omar’s Unforgettable Friday: A Stroke of Luck or Just Bad Timing?
Cremona, folks! Gather ’round for a tale that’ll make you reconsider how quickly you can go from ‘I’ve got it all together!’ to ‘Call an ambulance!’ Meet Omar, a 53-year-old technical employee who was just a regular chap enjoying a normal Friday morning, you know, the kind where you think, ‘What can possibly go wrong?’ Spoiler alert: Everything. In the blink of an eye — or perhaps a miscalculated reach — he fell off his chair. Now, if falling off your chair was an Olympic sport, I think we can all agree this would be disqualified for a lack of grace.
Awakening: The Realisation That Life is a Wobbly Chair
Omar’s leap from desk to hospital bed wasn’t easy. He blinked, and suddenly he’s auditioning to star in a medical drama, waking up in the Stroke Unit with absolutely no idea why he’s there. I mean, if life threw plot twists like that on Netflix, most of us would demand a refund! “What happened?” he asked a nurse, as if hoping she’d drop a hint about the ‘real-life episode’ he just starred in. Well, the nurse kindly informed him he’d had a stroke and that he should consider standing up. Sure, because if that’s not a cliffhanger ending, I don’t know what is!
But seriously, folks, it’s a miracle Omar can even joke about it now. “Today I can say I feel good,” he remarked, and if there’s one thing we love more than a happy ending, it’s gratitude! Omar hit the jackpot when it comes to support, thanking his colleagues, Red Cross volunteers, and hospital staff. It’s safe to say that karma definitely gave him a gold star that day!
Time is of the Essence: Saving Neurons Like They’re Going Out of Style
Now let’s talk numbers, shall we? Because nothing says ‘serious health issue’ quite like watching neurons bid adieu. According to Alessia Giossi, the neurologist at the helm of this chaos, 1,900 neurons vanish each minute during a stroke. Do we even have time for a coffee break? Apparently not!
Omar rolled into the hospital perfectly embodying those classic stroke symptoms: crooked smile, loss of speech and movement on one side. It’s like he was walking in with a neon sign above his head flashing, “EMERGENCY!” And the staff didn’t just twiddle their thumbs. They leapt into action like they were performing the most intense choreographed routine since *Dance Moms*. With a thrombectomy on the menu and life-saving changes to an artery, they quickly moved in to restore blood flow. Now that’s teamwork, folks!
Unlocking the ‘Stroke Code’: A Magician’s Password for Life
Speaking of teamwork, let’s chat about that nifty little thing called the Stroke Code. Think of it as the secret club handshake of the medical world. It’s the ‘Open Sesame’ for treating strokes with immediate flair. They’ve got the ‘hotline bling’ to ensure that when the call goes out, the hospital is prepped like it’s hosting an episode of *Top Chef* – everything cooked to perfection, all hands on deck!
Statistics: Where Numbers Leave a Stark Wake-Up Call
And get this, in Italy alone, approximately 185,000 people are struck by strokes every year. That’s roughly 80% newcomers having their first-ever stroke party, while the other 20% just decided to return for an encore because one encore isn’t enough, I guess. The usual culprits for this unruly event? Poor lifestyle choices and genetics! So, if you thought skipping the gym and sneaking that extra slice of cake was harmless, think again.
So, thank you, Omar, for your heartwarming (and mildly comedic) journey back to health! And may we all remember: Live well, laugh often, and for goodness’ sake, don’t take a nosedive off your chair while reaching for a document. Because, my friends, there’s nothing funny about losing your seat… or your neurons!
