Melissa Reiman, 32, saves lives for a living. As an air ambulance nurse she treats those in dire medical situations who require immediate lifesaving attention. In an ironic twist, it was the same flight company she works for that transported her just in time to receive emergency medical intervention by the specialists from the California Institute of Neurosciences who ultimately saved her life.
Reiman is one of 852,000 Americans between 18-44 who has suffered a stroke. She has no family history of the condition, eats well, exercises and is in overall good health. So when she suddenly began having trouble with her vision, speech started slurring and her face began to droop, her mother, also a nurse, insisted she seek immediate medical care.
She was then airlifted to Los Robles Regional Medical Center where board-certified stroke & interventional neurologist M. Asif Taqi, M.D., co-founder of the California Institute of Neuroscience, rushed her into surgery. There, he removed the blood clot that was preventing blood from reaching her brain and inserted 4 stents to keep the blood flowing.
“Interestingly enough, the incidence of stroke among younger people like Melissa is going up,” said Taqi, who cited actor Luke Perry and director John Singleton’s recent stroke-related deaths as examples. “That is why it is critical that once you start experiencing the initial signs of stroke, that you take immediate action.”
Taqi has expanded upon the popular public service acronym, “F.A.S.T.” with his own “B.E. F.A.S.T.” message:

B -- balance unsteady
E -- eyes unable to focus
F -- face drooping
A -- arm weakness
S -- speech difficulty
T – time to call 911

FACTS:

800,000 Americans suffer from stroke each year — 140,000 fatally
Risk factors like high cholesterol/blood pressure that are usually managed in those over 50 oftentimes are not detected in younger adults.
Science Daily reports as many as 852,000 Americans age 18 to 44 have suffered a stroke.
The journal Neurology says that the incidence of stroke among those 18-44 has increased nearly 52% between 1996 and 2007.
JAMA Neurology found hospital rates for those suffering stroke due to narrowing of brain vessels are increasing for men and women under age 45.
Ironically, stroke risk for older Americans is declining among women 55 to 64 by 2.2%, says JAMA Neurology.

California Institute of Neuroscience has earned a stellar reputation in the prevention, diagnosis, surgical treatment and post-surgical aspects of a range of disorders affecting the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves and cerebrovascular system. The team, who are experts at treating aneurysms, AVM, skull base tumors such as pituitary tumors, acoustic neuromas, and meningiomas, trigeminal neuralgia, and any other medical condition related to the brain and spine, employ the safest and latest technology to give patients a new lease on life.
Among the areas of specialty: neurology, neurosurgery, psychology, psychiatry, cranial maxillofacial plastic surgery, spine/peripheral neurosurgery and neuro-ophthalmology. These comprehensive services offer the patient a holistic approach to care not commonly found in typical neurosurgical practices. Visit cineuro.org or call (805) 795-7656.