Massapequa Park woman who suffered a stroke before her 30th birthday, shared her story with a national TV audience Tuesday to help others learn the warning signs before it's too late.
Shari Stack, appeared on the "Dr. Oz Show," seen locally on WNYW/Fox 5, Tuesday and recounted her experience.
"I was 29 when I had my first stroke, I had my second stroke 14 months later," Stack said.
"I had just had my baby and I was happy and healthy. I never saw this coming."
Stack, a North Merrick native who works as a librarian at Mepham High School in North Bellmore, and another survivor, joined with program host Dr. Mehmet Oz and his guest CNN correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta to discuss the rise in strokes among young women.
Stack said her first stroke came along quickly.
"I was checking my email and all of a sudden I couldn't see out of my right eye," she said. "I went to close my laptop and didn't realize I closed it on my hand. I couldn't feel it."
The panel went over some signs of stroke that including high blood pressure, diabetes and family history.
But there are also some signs that seem to be unusual or tend to affect women.
Among them are migraines , which Stack said she's suffered from since she was 7-years-old. Birth control pills an also increase a woman's chance for stroke.
Drinking soda and other sugary drinks affect some women and even how you move your neck can lead to stroke.
Finally, there is evidence that childbirth can bring on a stroke.
"I had my son Liam six weeks before my first strike," Stack said.
Fortunately her husband is a firefighter and was able to recognize the signs and called 911, according to Stack.
The Dr. Oz show lists warning signs of stroke on their website.
