Fort Myers woman recounts stroke survival to raise awareness

Stroke diagnoses are reportedly increasing among women in Florida, particularly those aged 45–64, and one Lee County woman is sharing her story of survival to raise awareness.

"I know that God has an assignment for me, and he chose me for this," Taunya Cola said.

Cola, 53, experienced a stroke on April 20, initially mistaking her symptoms for an allergic reaction to a bee sting.

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"As the day progressed, my body started changing and progressing into symptoms that I didn't know were stroke-related," Cola said.

Hoping to sleep off the symptoms, Cola said she prayed before going to bed.

"I just said, God, you know, I'm tired and I'm going to lay down and you're going to have to wake me up in the morning," Cola said. "I was in a crisis, because when I went to stand up, my knees were Jell-O. I fell into the table."

The next day, Cola went to Gulf Coast Medical Center, where she was treated as a "stroke alert."

"I came in as a stroke alert," Cola said.

Dr. Timothy Dougherty, who works in the Cape Coral Hospital emergency department, explained the importance of acting quickly in stroke cases.

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"Time is very important," Dougherty said. "We have actually a protocol that if you come in to the emergency department or you call 911, we have a stroke alert."

Dougherty emphasized that stroke symptoms can vary depending on the affected area of the brain.

"Some things will be loss of balance. Some things will be visual changes," Dougherty said.

He also highlighted the importance of recognizing the signs of a stroke using the acronym "BE FAST," which stands for balance loss, eye and vision changes, face droop, arm weakness, and speech difficulty.

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"There are medications that we can give if it is a stroke, that we can break open the clot. And the quicker we can do that, the more likely the brain is going to be saved," Dougherty said.

LEARN MORE ABOUT STROKE PREVENTION IN THE VIDEO BELOW:

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As she continues her recovery, Cola is determined to share her story to help others.

"Why shouldn't I share my story with people? To make them aware and to be strong, and to know that they can do it," Cola said.

She hopes her message will encourage others to listen to their bodies and seek help when needed.

"Listen to your body," Cola said.

Other stroke symptoms include sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body; confusion; trouble speaking or understanding speech; and severe headache with no known cause.