WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Friday is National Wear Red Day; a day when we can all show our support for heart disease and stroke awareness.
Heart disease is the number one killer among women.
Women also account for more than half of all stroke deaths in the U.S.
You can help turn those numbers around by not only wearing red but learning the signs of stroke, learning CPR, or encouraging a friend to get checked out.
Cecile Boynton didn't realize she was having a stroke until she woke up in the emergency room.
She was driving home from work on US-52 in Winston-Salem when she started to feel bad. She pulled off the road and then this happened...
"I remember waking up off the side of the road and my car upside down," Boynton said. "I was out of the car and there were police and EMTs asking me my name and who should they call, and I couldn't answer. I had no idea what was happening."
Unable to speak, she was paralyzed on her right side and filled with fear. She had surgery to remove a blood clot and extensive rehab for years.
Yet... she had no symptoms.
It was her husband who spotted a key sign of a stroke.
"He looked at me and I tried to smile, and he knew right away that I was having a stroke. My whole right side was drooping," Boynton said. I was pretty fit, I was working out. My blood pressure was at normal levels. No high blood pressure none of that so I have no idea what was going on. It wasn't something that I was prepared for so, for us, it happened all of a sudden."
Heart attack warning signs are different from the signs of stroke.
During a heart attack your chest will hurt, you will have shortness of breath, and you might even break out into a cold sweat, or feel lightheaded.
During a stroke, your face might start to droop, you will have difficulty talking and your arm will feel weak.
In either case, call 911 right away.
For more information, click here.