Strokes: Thinking F.A.S.T could save your life - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Imagine spending a day with your family, everything's going great, and all of a sudden you fall. You can't move. You're suffering a stroke. It happens all too often.

Strokes attack the brain by cutting off vital blood flow and oxygen. It's the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Every year there are approximately 795,000 people who suffer from a stroke. That's about one person every 40 seconds. Strokes take a life approximately every four minutes.

Alabamians are victims of strokes at a much higher rate than any other state in the country.

We spoke with a woman who told her story. One of struggles after fighting a stroke. She's fighting to get her life back on track.

"I knew what I wanted to say, but it wouldn't come out," Bessie Smith remembers. She's known for her energy, kindness, and good cooking! Preparing a meal for a party was just what Smith was doing when she fell victim to the biggest health scare of her life. "Life just stopped right there," she explained.

Bessie suffered a major stroke. Her family was right there with a feeling of helplessness because it happened so fast. "She was up one minute, and the next minute she was in the room on the floor," recalled a relative.

Her husband of 43 years, Edward, was outside mowing the lawn when his grandson ran out to give him the news. He didn't bother calling the ambulance because he knew he didn't have that kind of time.

"I got in the truck and got her to the emergency room," he recalls thinking it took about 20 to 25 minutes before she was at the hospital. "They worked on her for about two, and after that...I thought she was gone."

She wasn't gone, thankfully, but she wasn't the same person. Her fight to get her life back was just beginning. She spent three weeks in the hospital, and then another three weeks in rehab.

HEALTH TIP: How to reduce your risk of stroke

On the Web: National Stroke Association

Her work goes on with therapy .at home or at a clinic at least four days a week. "It's a very lengthy and expensive transition, and it can be totally debilitating." But you can come back, and that's what Bessie Smith is doing, one day at a time.

She's even remembering some of the things she's forgotten, like the Lord's pray, and how to walk on her own...with a little help if she needs it.

"I have a guardian angel," she proclaims, laughing as she points. "See, right over there."

THINK F.A.S.T.

Bessie Smith knew she was having a stroke, because she knew the signs. Do you?

Here's a quick way to remember the warning signs. Use the word fast.

FACE - Ask them to smile. Does one side of the face droop? 

Arms - Ask them raise their arms. Does one arm drift downward?

Speech - Is their speech slurred or strange?

Time - Do NOT wasted time. Call 911 immediately. Some strokes may appear to go away, but the danger is still very present. Don't brush it off.

FAST could save your life or the life of a loved one. 

There are some stroke risks factors that are out of your control, like being over 55, being male, and being African-American. If you have one or more of those factors, your best defense is information.

Read more about strokes on this page (or if viewing on a mobile app, visit the health page of WSFA.COM).

Copyright 2012  WSFA 12 News.  All rights reserved.