My Mammaw had a major stroke but she made it to the hospital on the short window to get the drugs (can't remember the name TNA?). Although she does need a walker (she might have anyway she is 93) she is very sharp, she does her crosswords daily, she tells me stories from her childhood with amazing detail, she even remembers my pet's names.

My Aunt Ruth had a stroke and was not found for several hours, she lived 10 years on a feeding tube with minimal recognition of the world around her. Thanks for posting Knott, I have known athletic women in their late 30's that had a stroke. It isn't just the elderly.