When I was finally seen by a Doc & he did some neurological tests.."smile, stick out your tongue, touch each finger w/your thumb, etc", he concluded that I had had an "event" & he wanted to admit me for tests. SHIT! Diagnosis was TIA. I was there for 3 days and had every test known to man..CT, TEE, MRI which showed multiple small strokes, & finally and angiography which showed an 80% occlusion of my right carotid artery which was the reason for the stroke. They consulted a vascular surgeon & he said I needed to get that artery unclogged.
Dr Franz told me he'd have to wait 8 weeks after the stroke to do surgery. In the mean time, no salt, take my meds & try to stop smoking... About 3 weeks later I went to my Dr & when he saw me, he shook my hand & said "Congratulations on being here!" I was very lucky, it seems, VERY lucky. He was mortified that he missed the sound that a blocked carotid artery would make & wanted to listen again. Still, no abnormal sound. "This is a teachable moment for me," he said. "The next time I hear a story like yours & don't hear any abnormal sounds, that person is getting a Doppler! But, in your case, it wouldn't have been in time, you were in the hospital before one would have been done. Lucky, you were very lucky."
Dr Franz scheduled a stress test for me to make sure my heart would take the surgery. When that was deemed "normal", they then scheduled surgery. I was supposed to have it April 28. But, 3 days after they scheduled it, they called me back and said that Franz had a cancellation on Monday, the following Monday & would I want to have it then... I asked it this was an April Fools joke, & she said, nah, that's Tuesday. I talked w/Mike & we decided to just get it over with and do it. So, on March 31st, I had a carotid endarterectomy on my right carotid artery.
I went home the next day on 2 weeks rest w/no lifting or driving.
Two days later, I took off the gauze to take a shower and ten days after that, the steri-strips came off and all that was left was a big ass scar and tape goo that seemed to be destined to be there forever.
It's now the end of May, and after 2 follow ups, I'm doing well. Unlike before, I take my medicine everyday. I haven't quit smoking, but, I have cut it down from 2 packs a day to less than a pack. My first goal is a half pack a day. If I can do that..I can quit. I think the noncompliance w/my meds was my undoing. I was sporadic taking my blood pressure meds, & hadn't taken any high cholesterol medication for 2 years because every kind of medicine they prescribed, gave me cramps. Muscle cramps..curling toes, Charlie horses, stuck fingers, back cramps, you name it, I'd get them. Well, now I take my Lipitor religiously and just suck it up w/the cramping..Better cramps than becoming a veg.
I do have residuals. My left middle finger tip down to the top knuckle is dead, no feeling at all & my left thumb is tingly. Surgery residual is just numbness at the top of my neck and bottom of my chin on the right. I'll take it.
