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...or, "How to Have a Stroke Without That Twisty Arm Thing."
It's been a really interesting few days.
It started Tuesday afternoon when I started seeing spots, like I'd been looking up at the sun. Not a lot of suns in my office, though. I went out for a walk and it cleared up. That night at home I got a killer headache and went to bed around 8, very unusual for me. Both the bedtime and the headache; I rarely get headacahes at all.
Wednesday at work I started getting blurry vision and suddenly, in the middle of writing an e-mail, I couldn't type. Couldn't string together words, couldn't spell anything. I rewrote the same sentence six times (badly) before banging the keyboard and leaving. Outside I started hyperventilating. I called Teres, who told me to get to the ER. By that point I wasn't up to driving, Teres called a friend of ours that works with me and she came out, found me, and took me to emergency.
By the time I got there, I couldn't recite my SS number or birthday. After that, I'm really fuzzy. I know I got an IV but I don't remember it. Ditto for my morphine. I don't remember much of the next 12 hours, in fact; I remember Teres showing up pretty early and my kids coming by later that night. Teres was trying to convince the ER doctor that I wasn't on drugs and that I had been acting confused. I don't remember much of this since earlier Teres had harassed a nurse into calling the doctor and providing me with morphine. He kept acting like he was going to make me leave before Teres and her brother Rodger essentially dragged him in and made him examine me. He admitted me pretty soon after that.
My youngest was a bit freaked out as he's never seen me... well, anything besides calm or laughing, really. I gather I wasn't at my best. My oldest, Tony, stayed all night and most of the morning Thursday, keeping Teres company and cracking jokes with me. ("Hey, if they have to operate on your head, at least they won't have to shave much!")
They gave me a CT scan that night and followed it up the next day with an MRI, an ultrasound, an EEG, a EKG, bloodwork, and an MRA (an MRI that's aimed at your neck). I talked to about 6 different doctors at various times.
The upshot seems to be that I had plaque in my carotid artery, restricting the bloodflow to my brain and causing stroke-like symptoms but without the crippling aftereffects. If you're going to have a stroke, that's the way to do it, I guess. According to the docs my buildup isn't dangerous enough at the moment to make operating a worthwhile risk, but I'll be going to my doctor next week to follow up. And I have to take an aspirin every day now. They even gave me a prescription for aspirin.
Meanwhile, after the pain part calmed down, we got to enjoy the wonders of a busy ER in Daytona Beach during Spring Break. Lots of homeless, a couple of Breakers who walked out in front of a car and seemed peeved about it ("Look! I can move my head! Can we go home?" "Stop that, you want to end up like Chris Reeve?"), an old lady that fell on the city bus and kept asking about insurance and how to sue them, the guy I ultimately shared a room with who has bleeding in his brain and needed constant morphine, although his doctors didn't seem to agree, and the guy in the room next to us who was a convict who broke his back and had a police guard checking through his food even though his door was open and we could see him all the time. Also got an excellent example of why our hospital needs to expand: I was in emergency for 32 hours before I got a room, and then I was discharged the next day. Nurses were coming back in on shift and saying, "Are you still here?"
All the way through this Teres stayed by me. She didn't sleep, not until 35 hours later when I had a room and we could rest. And then the nurse on that floor made her leave, even though several nurses had come and gone and smiled at her. Ah, well. She needed the rest. She went home, slept a few hours, showered, and grabbed some stuff to bring back this morning. We spent the day today making fun of television and laughing at, pretty much, everything, before I finally got released. I am still in awe of how she kept upright and joking the whole time.
She said now I can be the grownup and she's going to go sleep for a week, and I think she deserves it. All I know is that she is the only person on the planet that could get me through three days of hell and keep both of us laughing most of the time.
And that was my week. How was yours?
[ June 06, 2006, 10:30 AM: Message edited by: Chris Bridges ]
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
Actually, I don't know what my cholesterol is. I'm going to get it tested next week. I was glad to find out that my blood pressure, heartrate, temperature, and the various scans and peeks at my heart were all perfect.
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By the way, here's a picture of Teres I drew on a napkin while she was doing crossword puzzles. Partly I drew it because I love drawing Teresa, and partly I drew it because I wanted to make sure I still could.
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Wow, Chris, glad you came through that OK. And the drawing is really sweet. The love shows through.
Posts: 3149 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Yikes ahoy! Glad you're feeling better, and yep, that sort of thing ain't good when you're going through it.
Other than aspirin, is there a treatment plan? Yeah, I'm being nosy, mostly cuz I'm just the curious sort. Feel even betterer soon!
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Wow, Chris, I am so glad you are OK! I know how it feels. I mean, I really do! The stroke-feeling, the long ER wait, the intense support and love from your spouse. Everything. It gives me chills of horror and joy at the same time.
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Other than aspirin, is there a treatment plan?
I'm pretty curious about that my ownself... Next week I'll be going to my regular doctor and see what he has to say about it.
Generally, if the patient's arteries are closed 70% or more, they would operate. 50-69%, with symptoms popping up, they would also operate. Anything under that -- which is apparently where I am -- they recommend antiaggregants (aspirin, etc) and diet modification to improve the cholesterol.
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Oh my goodness Chris, how scary! You'll be in my prayers, Hon. I'm glad things are somewhat positive, but still what a terrible experience for you, Teres, and the kids.
(((Chris and family)))
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I am so glad you are okay. Glad you listened to the warning signs and your wife. Glad she and your brother-in-law pushed the doctor. Take care of yourself and that wonderful wife and kids of yours.
Call me a bit selfish, but I would definitely miss reading your columns for whatever reason.
Posts: 822 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Chris, my dad had two or three mini strokes when I was ... under school age. He had uncontrolled HBP, but never had a recurrence after he went on treatment. It really scared the family (except for me - I was oblivious "Daddy has an eye patch? Is he a pirate now?")
I'm glad you're okay and sorry you guys went through this. ~~~~(((Chris and Family)))~~~
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quote:Originally posted by Chris Bridges: Other than aspirin, is there a treatment plan?
I'm pretty curious about that my ownself... Next week I'll be going to my regular doctor and see what he has to say about it.
Generally, if the patient's arteries are closed 70% or more, they would operate. 50-69%, with symptoms popping up, they would also operate. Anything under that -- which is apparently where I am -- they recommend antiaggregants (aspirin, etc) and diet modification to improve the cholesterol.
Ah, thanks for clarifying. It sounds to me as though you got the warning shot, which is a good thing since you can now fix things before permanent damage happens, even as miserable as the warning shot was.
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Wow Chris! That is really scary. I'm so thankful it turned out okay for you.
I can't say I fully understand your doctor's diagnosis (with your symptoms being that severe for a short period of time), but hopefully this aspirin trick and diet will clear everything out for you.
Seems like I'm known younger and younger people lately that have had full strokes. Perhaps we all should take the possibility a little more seriously as we age...
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Okay, I've already had one death this week in another group. I hereby forbid any further serious Hatrack incidents!!!!!
Seriously, Chris, I'm very relieved that this turned out to be the warning shot, as quid put it, and that you're still here with us. I'll keep my fingers crossed for a positive outcome from next week's doctor's appointment.
Someone really needs to develop a non-invasive treatment that will break up that arterial plaque...
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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Good golly, Chris. That sounds scary and awful. And a day and a night and another day in the emergency department sounds hellish, too. I wish you a full and speedy recovery.
quote:Originally posted by Goody Scrivener: Someone really needs to develop a non-invasive treatment that will break up that arterial plaque...
But you'd want to be sure that any broken-up arterial plaque doesn't travel upstream, causing further damage.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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I agree with all the setiments here. I worried, but glad that you're okay. And don't forget to take your asprin! Posts: 1789 | Registered: Jul 2003
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Wow...scary stuff. I'm glad you had the non-damaging kind of stroke. Take care of yourself, and good luck with the aspirin and any other treatments.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Holy crap! Wow...I'm very glad to hear you're alright, relatively speaking:) Your wife sounds awesome. You musta been pretty darn good in a past life, because I can tell you you're too much of a smartass to merit such a stellar lady in this one
And I think someone should point out, a la Snape, that serious illness will not excuse lack of column!
(Seriously man, harrowing time. I'm very glad you're OK. *high-five* on that)
Posts: 17164 | Registered: Jun 2001
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OMG! I am so very glad you're okay and I will be think about you and praying for you and Teresa and the boys.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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My word! Glad that this was caught, there are things you can do to prevent a reoccurence, and really glad you had such wonderful support -- especially since the hospital sounded like it was way overwhelmed and filled past capacity.
Take care -- you and your family!
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