Pathway Step 4 · Build your kit

🧰 Patient Tools Kit — TIA-Carotid-Stenosis

The everyday tools a Certified Prepared Patient keeps within reach: the rules that decide an emergency, the order to make calls, and the trackers that keep the routine on course. Print the cards, fill in your contacts, and keep this kit where the whole household can find it.

What’s in your kit

Eight tools. The first three are the rules you must know cold — they decide when something is an emergency. The rest keep the daily partnership steady and tell you where your role begins and ends.

1 The "It Cleared" Rule 2 The Prevention Rule 3 Other Red Flags 4 The Contact Ladder 5 BP Log 6 TIA Prevention Meds 7 The ER Go-Bag 8 Speak Up / Trust the Team
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1 · The "It Cleared" Rule

Know this cold

A TIA is a stroke whose symptoms cleared on their own. That can feel reassuring — but the next stroke risk is HIGHEST in the 48 hours after a TIA. "It went away" is not safe; the cause is still there.

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TIA RECURRENCE RULE

Patient card
Sudden = 911
Any sudden BE-FAST symptom — face droop, arm weakness, slurred speech, balance, vision — call 911 even if it clears in seconds.
Note the time
Write the EXACT time symptoms started. If they recur and persist, this is the data the team needs to start tPA.
Do not drive
Even if symptoms cleared, you should not drive after a TIA-like event — risk of next stroke in motion is real.
Your move as patient: Call 911 for ANY sudden BE-FAST sign — even brief. The hospital workup (imaging, carotid, AFib check) happens fast in the first 24-48 hours. That window saves brains.
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2 · The Prevention Medicine Rule

Know this cold

After a TIA, the prevention medicines are LIFE-SAVING. Missing the blood thinner or antiplatelet for even 1-2 days raises the next-stroke risk. Adherence is everything.

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TIA MEDICINE RULE

Patient card
Take antiplatelet
Most TIA patients are on aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), or both for a short time. Never skip. Never stop on your own.
BP at goal
High BP is the #1 stroke risk. Take the daily BP medicine every day. Track home readings.
Statin daily
Statins lower cholesterol AND stabilize artery plaques. Most are taken at bedtime. Don’t stop for muscle aches without telling the team.
Your move as patient: Help you set up a pillbox. Pair doses with established habits. Bring the full medicine list to every visit and any ED trip.
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3 · Other Red Flags — Emergencies

Know this cold

Beyond the two red rules above, these situations also mean immediate help. When in doubt, the home care plan handles ordinary days — these are not ordinary.

🧠 BE-FAST signs

Sudden face droop, arm weakness, slurred speech, balance loss, vision change, severe headache. Even brief = 911.

Call 911 now

❤️ Chest pain

Stroke survivors share risk with heart disease. New chest pressure or pain is a 911 call.

Call 911 now

👀 Sudden vision loss

Sudden vision loss in one or both eyes can be a stroke variant or retinal artery clot.

Call 911 now

🥕 Irregular pulse

New palpitations or irregular pulse could be AFib — a major stroke risk that changes treatment.

ED today
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4 · The Contact Ladder

Fill in & print

When something is wrong, you should not be deciding who to call in the moment — only which rung you are on. Fill in the names and numbers now, while things are calm.

1
Rung 1 · The plan

You's TIA prevention plan

Daily medicines, BP target, follow-up imaging schedule. Most non-emergency questions are answered here.

Action plan kept: ________________________
2
Rung 2 · The specialists

Neurology / stroke clinic

For new symptoms, medicine questions, recovery support. Many stroke clinics have nurse navigators. This is your most valuable everyday number.

Specialty team: ________________________
3
Rung 3 · Everyday care

Primary care provider

For BP, cholesterol, diabetes, vaccines. PCPs coordinate the prevention team.

Primary care: ________________________
4
Rung 4 · Emergency

911 / Emergency Department

For BE-FAST, severe headache, chest pain, falls. Always say "history of TIA" at the door.

Preferred ED: ________________________
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5 · Daily BP Log

Tap to log

Track the morning BP top number (systolic). Watch for AFib by checking pulse rhythm regularly.

Target under 130/80 for most TIA patients. Personal target may differ — confirm with neurology.

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6 · TIA Prevention Medicine Support

Daily routine

TIA prevention is medicine + lifestyle. Most patients are on antiplatelet (aspirin/clopidogrel), BP medicine, statin, and sometimes diabetes medicines.

The rule: all medicines, every day. The single biggest cause of a stroke after a TIA is stopping medicines. Your job as patient is to make the daily routine effortless.

Watch for bleeding

Antiplatelets raise bleeding risk slightly — report unusual bruising, bleeding gums, bloody urine.

No NSAIDs alone

Don’t add ibuprofen or naproxen on top of aspirin/clopidogrel. Use acetaminophen.

Watch for AFib

New palpitations or irregular pulse — tell the team. AFib changes everything (adds anticoagulant).

Surgery / procedures

Always tell any clinician you are on antiplatelet. Some procedures need a coordinated pause.

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7 · The ER Go-Bag

Pack once, check monthly

A crisis is not the time to gather paperwork. Pack a go-bag now and keep it by the door. Tap each item as you add it — your checklist saves on this device.

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8 · Speak Up / Trust the Team Guide

You boundary

The hardest skill in patienting is knowing when to act and when to hold back. A great patient is a reliable backup and a fierce advocate — without taking your own care away from them.

💬 Speak up when…

  • A red-flag rule is met and a clinician is dismissing it — restate the rule and the home plan calmly and clearly.
  • You are in the ED and your home plan is being ignored — ask for it to be looked at, and ask for a senior clinician if needed.
  • You are about to be given a medicine or test that wasn’t in the plan — ask why, and ask about alternatives.
  • Your symptoms are escalating between visits — call before it becomes an ER trip.
  • You feel unheard or rushed — it’s OK to say "I need a minute to ask one more question."

🤝 Trust the team when…

  • They have proposed a guideline-based treatment that fits your plan.
  • You disagree from fear rather than from new information — pause, ask one question, listen.
  • You are on a stable run that’s working — small adjustments often beat big changes.
  • Your care partner’s instinct and the team’s recommendation agree — that’s a strong signal.
  • You’ve done your part of the homework — logs, questions, honest history — and now it’s the team’s turn.
The principle: you trained to the depth your clinicians use so you could be a partner in your own care, not a passenger. Speak up for safety and accuracy; trust the team for guideline-based treatment and steady adjustment. When unsure, ask a clarifying question first: “Can you walk me through your reasoning?”
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