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Stroke survivor shares her story to help others

Why you need to act FAST if you think you or someone you know has had a stroke.

TAMPA, Fla. — May is American Stroke Month and there are specific things you need to watch out for because anyone can have a stroke at any time.

At 33, Kristen Powers was in the prime of her life -- fit, healthy and athletic. She had just finished a half Ironman race. Kristen and her husband had already started training to do another one when she had a bike accident.  

"My husband and friend of ours decided that the best thing to do was to call an ambulance because I had a cut on my forehead," she said.

Powers was treated and released, but as her husband was driving her home, something happened. 

"I was on the phone with my mom at the time and I dropped the phone and I looked down," she said. "The phone, it was at my feet and (I) couldn't figure out how to pick it up."

"It can happen very suddenly so you may not have any warning signs when it happens," said Dr. Swetha Renati, a neurologist at Tampa General Hospital. 

She says it's important for everyone to know the signs of a stroke.  

"Stroke is one of those things where it's often not the person themselves experiencing the stroke, but other people recognizing the signs of a stroke that can get them back to the hospital," she said.

The American Stroke Association created this easy to remember acronym to highlight the symptoms.

FAST

F: Face drooping

A: Arm Weakness

S: Speech Difficulty

T: Time to call 911

"He knew immediately something was wrong. The right side of my face was completely drooping and I went to say something to him and it all came out as gibberish. My speech was very slurred," Powers said. 

Kristen had surgery that day to remove the blood clot and it saved her life. But she had a long road to recovery.  

"I was in ICU for five days," she said. "I was in the hospital for a month and a half and I was in outpatient therapy for three months."

Today, Powers is back to training and competing in races. She's happy to call herself a survivor.

The American Stroke Association has more information on how you can prevent a stroke on their website.

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