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Promising Advances in Stroke Treatment
Stroke survivors, loved ones of those affected and others who vowed to improve their lifestyles responded to our March 8 coverage of new research offering hope to millions of stroke victims. Readers recounted their experiences, described the therapies that worked for them--running the gamut from children's aspirin to yoga--and, above all, stressed the need for perseverance. After six weeks of hospital treatment and 40 sessions of physical therapy, one survivor claimed to have come "very close to my normal self." She advised against despair: Push yourself. "Your recovery stops when you stop." In the interest of prevention, one woman asked for a poster-size blowup of our illustration of a fat-clogged artery to "display prominently above the TV so it will be right in my husband's face. I want him to have more birthdays and see exactly why he won't if he continues corrupting his arteries with poor eating habits."
Striking Out of the Blue
Thank you for the informative March 8 cover story, "The New Science of Strokes." Your article is helpful to the public at large and enormously useful for stroke victims. About a month ago, at the age of 29, I had a stroke. I have low cholesterol and low blood pressure, work out regularly, don't smoke and have no history of strokes in my family. While spending the better part of a week at the hospital in the stroke unit undergoing a series of tests to determine the cause, I didn't get nearly enough of this useful information to better assist me in understanding the causes, effects and treatment of strokes. That's all the more reason to stress that it is the responsibility of the individual to take an active role in his or her personal health and take advantage of the comprehensive coverage on prevention and care in publications like NEWSWEEK.
Faye Rogaski
New York, N.Y.
I am a stroke victim twice over. My first stroke gave me aphasia, the inability to either speak or write. The next one was less severe, and I recovered from its effects within a few days. I am pleased to hear that physicians now believe that continued recovery happens even many months after a stroke. Doctors, family and friends attest...
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