DENVER -- Chris Allen, 37, used to be in finance. It's a fast-paced world that gave him the lifestyle that he wanted until just last year.

"I was into finance and looking at money. I was looking at lifestyle, then had the stroke and it was a wake-up call. I was like, you know, there are more important things than just money," said Allen.

Right before Thanksgiving weekend, Allen started not feeling well. He lost vision in his left eye. At first, he wasn't sure what to think.

"A typical 36-year-old with vision changes would not think much of it. They would think they might have something in their eye, or a migraine headache as a possibility," said Colorado Neurologicial Institute stroke specialist Dr. Chris Fanale.

It wasn't until two days later, Allen went to see a doctor and was told he'd suffered a stroke.

"I was very fortunate that the symptoms didn't progress any further than they did," said Allen.

Other symptoms of stroke include: acute or sudden onset of language problems, such as problems speaking or slurring of speech; vision changes; severe headache; numbness or weakness on one side of the body; and sudden dizziness.

"Every second the brain does not get oxygen, up to 30,000 neurons die per second," Fanale said.

That's why the first three hours of a stroke is critical. Fanale said a clot-busting drug can be given to stroke patients within that time. He said in those case, statistics show patients have a 50/50 chance of having no disability in three months time.

For more information on the signs of stroke and what to look out for, go to thecni.org.