BAKERSFIELD, CA - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports almost 800,000 people in the United States have a stroke every year. Statistics show the majority of people can't identify the symptoms.
May is National Stroke Awareness Month. One local survivor says having a stroke was a huge wake-up call.
Last November, Bob Tyner was headed to Las Vegas when he started having trouble eating. Feeling that something wasn't right, he evaluated his symptoms.
"I started assessing myself in the reviewer mirror, and realized, I couldn't blink, I couldn't wink, the left side of my face wouldn't work and I realized at that point I probably was in a serious place," said Tyner.
Tyner was having a stroke. He spent the next several days in the hospital.
"At that point I had to make some changes. I had a lot of changes going on in my life that were outside of my control, but I needed to make some changes that I could control," Tyner said.
Tyner says he lived a high-stress life, working two full time jobs, drinking three six packs of diet soda a day and being overweight. Now, Tyner has settled into a job he enjoys, stopped drinking soda, and has lost about 80 pounds.
"I think I have a life now. I think, medically, I feel better because I have time to do things I want to do," said Tyner.
He monitors his sleep, calorie intake, and exercise through an electronic bracelet synced to his smart phone. Tyner also consistently takes his blood pressure medication, something he says he didn't do before the stroke.
Tyner said, "I took control and took the skills I have to become healthy and that's something everybody can do if they choose to do it."
Symptoms of stroke are sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, confusion or trouble speaking or understanding others, trouble seeing in one or both eyes, dizziness or trouble walking and severe headache. Experts say anyone experiencing symptoms should call 911.
May is National Stroke Awareness Month. One local survivor says having a stroke was a huge wake-up call.
Last November, Bob Tyner was headed to Las Vegas when he started having trouble eating. Feeling that something wasn't right, he evaluated his symptoms.
"I started assessing myself in the reviewer mirror, and realized, I couldn't blink, I couldn't wink, the left side of my face wouldn't work and I realized at that point I probably was in a serious place," said Tyner.
Tyner was having a stroke. He spent the next several days in the hospital.
"At that point I had to make some changes. I had a lot of changes going on in my life that were outside of my control, but I needed to make some changes that I could control," Tyner said.
Tyner says he lived a high-stress life, working two full time jobs, drinking three six packs of diet soda a day and being overweight. Now, Tyner has settled into a job he enjoys, stopped drinking soda, and has lost about 80 pounds.
"I think I have a life now. I think, medically, I feel better because I have time to do things I want to do," said Tyner.
He monitors his sleep, calorie intake, and exercise through an electronic bracelet synced to his smart phone. Tyner also consistently takes his blood pressure medication, something he says he didn't do before the stroke.
Tyner said, "I took control and took the skills I have to become healthy and that's something everybody can do if they choose to do it."
Symptoms of stroke are sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, confusion or trouble speaking or understanding others, trouble seeing in one or both eyes, dizziness or trouble walking and severe headache. Experts say anyone experiencing symptoms should call 911.