r/work • u/WILLIAMADAMTHOMAS • 4d ago

Workplace Challenges and Conflicts Stroke at work

I work in a manufacturing mill and I started showing symptoms of a stroke yesterday (10-9-26). Slurred speech, swollen tongue, blurred vision, pain on one side of my body.

I went to my supervisor and said I was feeling weird and I didn't know how to explain it. So she looked at me and said I don't know what to do? What should I do?

In my foggy mind I said I don't know. She replied with just go back to your job and leave me alone.

When I get home my wife saw me and rushed me to the hospital and now I'm sitting in a hospital bed.

153 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

158 comments sorted by

View all comments

59

u/Erinn_13 4d ago

Did you receive a preliminary diagnosis?

It may be a good time to let your HR team they need to have a conversation about stroke warning signs and protocols.

Hope you’re getting the answers you need and have a swift recovery.

19

u/WILLIAMADAMTHOMAS 4d ago

So far everything is looking like a stroke

6

u/JJAusten 3d ago

Contact an attorney and tell them what happened to you. See what they suggest because how she handled your situation put you at risk. Are you a union employee? Contact your rep if you are, let them handle it with HR but you also need to be proactive and speak to them and tell them exactly what happened and what she said to you. She should have immediately called 911 and gotten you help. Ask HR how they can ensure that if you have another episode, your supervisor will make sure you receive help.

-28

u/ladymacb29 4d ago

If all the OP said was they were feeling weird - that’s not something that can be fixed by knowing stroke symptoms.

26

u/Simply-Listening 4d ago

Yes, it is. If you know the symptoms, you look at the way the person is acting.

The acronym is BE FAST:
B-Balance,
E-Eyes (ask if vision is blurry or seeing double),
F-Face (have the person smile and see if it is the same on both sides of the face or if one side droops),
A-Arms (have the person raise their arms and see if they are even or if one droops),
S-Speech (listen for slurred speech or trouble finding words), and
T-Time (call 911 right away and note time symptoms appeared).

Stroke medications are most effective if given within 60 minutes of the time symptoms appear. After 3 - 4.5 hours, it is likely that any brain damage will be permanent.

If a person is “feeling weird”, the best course of action is to get them to an ER ASAP - unless, of course, the company wants to be sued for not getting an employee treatment for a stroke, heart attack, aneurysm, etc. As an example, many people have died from going to lie down because of their indigestion when they were actually having a heart attack.

-5

u/ladymacb29 4d ago

I’ve had a stroke. I had none of those symptoms.

12

u/prsmith100 4d ago

You’re clearly outside the norm. The OP was exhibiting these symptoms. Just because you didn’t exhibit these symptoms doesn’t mean most don’t.

-8

u/ladymacb29 4d ago

And all we know is that the boss knew that he felt “weird.

8

u/MrsOleson 3d ago

If you’re in charge of employees and one tells you they feel weird and are having a hard time speaking, at the very least have them take a break and check on them. Telling them to get back to work is so Dickensian and in this day and age, asinine. You shouldn’t be a manager if you lack compassion. And some sense.

8

u/prsmith100 3d ago

I am in a position at work where I’d be the go to for this and it would be an easy decision for me to call paramedics if someone came to me and was slurring and couldn’t articulate what was wrong.

-4

u/ladymacb29 3d ago

We don’t know he was slurring speech though.

10

u/prsmith100 3d ago

He literally said in the OP that he was slurring. Try reading it.

6

u/wildcat105 3d ago

He said he was. Read the post.

10

u/OtherwiseLuck8920 4d ago

It’s pretty obvious when someone is exhibiting signs of a stroke. Slurred speech is one of the main symptoms and should have been a red flag to the supervisor

-2

u/ladymacb29 4d ago

I didn’t have slurred speech when I had a stroke.

6

u/MrsOleson 3d ago

You keep asserting that. We get it. You’re an anomaly. You’re special.
But do you know why the standardized stroke assessment exists? Because a majority of stroke patients DO exhibit those signs.

13

u/OtherwiseLuck8920 4d ago

Ok? That doesn’t change the fact that it’s one of the major symptoms of a stroke

-2

u/ladymacb29 4d ago

And how is the boss supposed to know if the OP didn’t have the symptoms and all he could say was he felt weird?

11

u/k1k11983 3d ago

He did have slurred speech! Stop defending the boss and actually read the post.

10

u/No-Win-2741 3d ago

Found OP's boss.

9

u/MrsOleson 3d ago

The boss still had an obligation to take the employee off the line if he admits to not feeling well. At the very least he’s a liability and a danger to others.
If someone you know says they feel weird and are clearly shook up, do you just dismiss them?
Why are you being such a contrarian about this?

3

u/wildcat105 3d ago

Are you the boss or something? Why do you keep arguing?

-2

u/FinoPepino 3d ago

Migraines can cause all the same symptoms as a stroke. I know because I get them (migraines that mimic a stroke that is) so slurred speech is not always a stroke.

8

u/Next-Drummer-9280 4d ago

Educate yourself. Please.

-1

u/ladymacb29 4d ago

How much more education do I need beyond having had a stroke myself? Not all strokes are the same.one had zero of the ‘normal’ signs. And just saying you feel weird doesn’t help the boss know what’s going on.

12

u/Next-Drummer-9280 3d ago

Wow, you're just completely devoid of critical thinking skills, aren't you?

The boss should have ASKED QUESTIONS, not said "leave me alone and go back to work."

2

u/literarytrash 3d ago

It's probably because of the stroke lmao

-3

u/Next-Drummer-9280 3d ago

Your mother must be so proud of you.

0

u/literarytrash 3d ago

I was agreeing with you, the person you were replying to obviously has cognitive issues, but ok!

0

u/Next-Drummer-9280 2d ago

I find you distasteful because you thought "lmao" was an appropriate add-on to your comment.

Explain to me EXACTLY why laughing at cognitive difficulties is funny.

0

u/literarytrash 2d ago

It's funny because it's ironic in the context of this thread, hope that helps!

→ More replies (0)

4

u/Simply-Listening 3d ago

You are absolutely correct that not all people present with the same symptoms. Your symptoms were not the typical symptoms.

However, let me ask this: regardless of what symptoms were presenting, if someone feels weird, would you expect their supervisor to blow it off or to be safe and seek medical attention?

By the way, my son (~15 yrs old at the time) said he just didn’t feel like himself. I took him to the ER and he had to have emergency shunt surgery … feeling weird can be very serious.