Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Paramedic has Stroke at 37…Know the Signs
When Greg Rhinehart, a 37-year-old firefighter/paramedic at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, woke up at 5:30 the morning of January 7, he found he couldn’t speak. Not a word.
Rhinehart, who was sleeping on base because he was on duty, was the victim of a stroke. But even as a paramedic, he said it took a while to put together the symptoms he was experiencing.
Rhinehart said ‘As a paramedic, I understand the importance of acting quickly in cases of strokes. Also, I got a chance to look at this from the other side, as a patient, not a provider.’
The following information is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding signs of a stroke:
- Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech.
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination.
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
- Call 9-1-1 right away if you or someone else has any of these symptoms.
