3Years after a mild stroke, i am experiencing TIA type symptoms daily? My consultants say its stress functional symptoms.Help me someone Please!!

Brain and nerves
1

3years ago I had a mild stroke, and since that day, ive been having TIA type attacks near daily. WHY? I need answers and help PLEASE.

Hi my name is Dave.

I am requiring any help feedback, as to whether anyone else seems to have or have had recurring stroke like symptoms, 3years after a small stroke.

With the help of my wife and others, I have compiled this.

8years ago, at the age of 39 yrs. I was a high flying energetic senior manager within a large uk-ftse. company, I had worked for many large UK corporations in a senior position very successfully, and also Director of my own businesses, when I suffered a large nervous breakdown.

This was due to 20years 15hour day 6/7days a week workaholic lifestyle, in senior business management working for private and public companies.

I suffered and am still suffering with hypertension, high cholesterol, and abnormal electrical QT wave diagnosed when I was 24years old.

Due to constantly having heart pain, I underwent stress tests which I was unable to complete, after having an angiogram, it was then found that under stress, my heart arteries and blood vessels constrict severely causing me pain.

All this eventually with my high work ethic, caused me to have a nervous breakdown, I then was unable to work and I fell into severe depression, all this was been treated with medication as belpw.

Then 3years ago whilst having a nice stroll near the beach at Cleethorpes, with my wife, I experienced loss of feeling in my left leg for approx. 10minutes and then the same thing in the left arm.

My wife and I laughed it off, wondering what was going off, I also felt unwell and dizzy so we decided to drive back home to Doncaster.

My left side felt weak, so after having a couple of drinks we went to bed early.

The next morning I was unable to wake up and get up properly, so my wife came upstairs and noticed that the left hand side of my mouth and eye had drooped on the left side of my face.

I was very dizzy and unsteady and weak on my left leg and left arm, and I had this very severe pain behind my left eye socket, and my wife states that I was slurring and unsteady due to dizziness.

Luckily my 24year old daughter who had just popped in mentioned to my wife, that this looked like a stroke, the paramedics who came out were shocked that on inspection I had not gone to the hospital for treatment the day before, they immediately took me into Doncaster Royal Infirmary for hospital treatment.

I was treated for a stroke and subsequent CT, MRI scans and the consultant reports within the first 48hrs states as follows;

‘‘ This gentleman’s symptoms suggestive of ataxic hemiparesis, would be in keeping with a lacunar syndrome although the white matter changes in the MRI are more predominant in the left hemisphere than the right and I cannot identify any clear brain stem lesion on review on the PACS today.

Undoubtedly there is some functional overlay component. This gentleman’s presentation is in keeping with his significant history of depression. His signs would be in keeping with a lacunar stroke and I note that carotid dopplers show carotid atheromatous disease in the asymptomatic artery, Therefore it is entirely reasonable for him to be on appropriate vascular preventative therapy. He is aware of persistent sensory deficit which is causing him anxiety.’’

I have been diagnosed as having cerebral vascular disease, hypertension, angina, diabetes type2, reflux, glaucoma, asthma, depression.

I am on medication for my above health issues as follows, Clopidogrel 75mg, Amlodopine 10mg, Montelukast 10mg, Atorvastatin 40mg, Irbesartan 300mg, Bendroflumethaizide 2.5mg, Pregabalin 600mg, Metformin 500mg, Isosorbide Mononitrate 60mg, Lansoprazole 30mg. Salbutamol and Seretide inhalers. Glyceryl Nitrate GTN spray for angina. Cocodamol and Paracetamol for pain management.

However from the moment I had this mild stroke I have been getting recurring stroke like symptoms, for now 3years after.

Initially my left leg had a small shake uncontrollably, however since being prescribed Pregabalin in the 1stsix months, I have not hardly had a recurrence, just slight shakes now and then.

These episodic attacks are now as frequent as three times a day and sometimes 7days a week, where I suffer episodes of stroke type symptoms, during my sleep, and twice during the day.

These attacks which can be from light to severe attacks are as follows, a light attack feels like an electrical current going through my head and dizziness, and then a bad attack sometimes precedes with a tingling numb-like feeling in left-hand side of my face, which then ends with me displaying the symptoms as already described on numerous occasions and literally ends with me sleeping heavily, and my leg and arm feels like a lead weight, these have been seen by many medical professionals within Royal Hallamshire Sheffield Hospital, Doncaster Hospital, the nurses at the local GP and local CMHT.

A heavy attack has the following symptoms, dizziness, pain in my head, a drooped mouth and left eye and left hand-side face, weakness in left arm and left leg, unable to walk, slurred speech, tingling in the left-hand side of face, blurry vision. These attacks whether light, medium or heavy, always ends up with myself being completely fatigued, confused with dizziness and then my brain forces me to sleep, from 2 to 4 hrs. or so.

These attacks happen during my sleep, as my wife is unable to wake me up in the morning and when i do finally wake up, i have the tell-tale left sided face droop etc, they can happen anytime of the day, whilst I am sat watching tv etc. sometimes 2 to 3 times a day for up-to 7days. My memory is terrible, i am unable to concentrate for long periods, i also lose my balance a lot, and I sometimes have a very severe pain, behind my left eye socket, and this does not go away with painkillers.

However after an attack, my limbs are weak for a day after.

Once i have recovered ie woken up after a sleep from 2 to 4hrs, i feels sometimes like I am drunk and very hung-over for a day or two, I am completely washed out, with varying pains, headaches and i am unable to walk once these attacks happen and i am very weak on my left side leg and arm daily and on-going.

I get dizzy spells during an attack and also when im not having an attack.

Also I am slurring, or mumbling during an attack, my speech is clear when I am not suffering attacks however my wife and children have stated that sometimes i say the wrong words or whilst speaking sometimes put the wrong words that im trying to say, in the wrong part of a sentence, which they find amusing, and i find frustrating and angry with myself for doing that, but i do not have slurred speech outside an attack unless I am tired.

.

My vision has deteriorated since the stroke, and my left eyesight is terrible, i have just been diagnosed with glaucoma and diabetes and early stages of diabetic retinopathy, however the medics are looking into my eyesight issues but with no joy.

I have also been experiencing in addition to the other symptoms, pain in my bones on my left side and back, especially when i retires to bed at night, to the point where we have had to obtain a loan to purchase, a £3000 hospital type adjustable bed, which has not really alleviated the pain.

I am under a psychiatrist for depression, but nothing seems to be working for me, I am on medication, I have been tried on different medication over the 8years and im currently on 40mg of fluoxetine a day. My depression seems deeper since the stroke and i am struggling daily.

Im under a neurologists at Sheffield Royal, but they have put it down to functional symptoms due to stress, I have been recommended for psychotherapy, but will not be allowed down this road until my depression stabilises, we need help or any information from stroke survivors, have you suffered anything like this...

I feel like im a pain to the medical profession, and as a previous troubleshooter in management and business, in working as a consultant in performance and productive environments and with working knowledge of performance measures within the national health service, i feel I am a problem to performance and productivity figures as i am still on the consultants caseload. However these are just my feelings, and does not reflect on anyone’s professional expertise.

My local GP, is understanding and very GOOD at helping me emotionally and with medication to control my symptoms.

Ive been tested for bells palsy, ms, but no joy, does anyone have these effects or symptoms after 3 yrs after a stroke?

I have never ever regained the strength in my left leg or arm, this was only a small stroke, due to clotting from furred up carotid artery the consultants have informed me.

I am constantly in turmoil over this, feeling very depressed and even suicidal on a daily basis,

My stroke was not a bleed, it was a mild stroke, possibly caused by a clot from the diagnosed furred up carotid artery in my neck.

I just need some answers or other experiences and how they have coped or resolved.

My grown up children, aged 30, 24 and 21 and myself and wife are getting exceedingly worried, as I am having more of these episodes especially over the last 8-10months.

This is affecting my whole family too, in a depressive way.

I need help and answers and im praying for answers, please help someone, all this makes me feel very suicidal.

Doing this email is very hard mentally as i am constantly drained, it has taken me 3 weeks on and off to try and compile this email with the help of my wife and others.

Thanks

Kind Regards

Dave and Nicola

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Hi Dear friend ,

It is so sad to see your condition and but i do believe that for every problem there is solution. I can not give you any recommendation on the medication but i can do recommend few things for you .

you can go for herbal body massage which will be more helpful for you to recover from the pain, fatigue and depression also it will help you to come to your normal life . i myself is a massage therapist and i am specialised in herbal medicinal treatment and there are more than 10 patients who are under my treatment right now. i do give them the combination of massage and physiotherapy which i actually made their life more better and happy. most of them are now able to walk and do their routine work without others help . but before you go to any body make sure that they do have experience of treating stroke patients as there is no meaning of giving simple massage , also you will have to go for few session to see the difference . if you need any further help you can contact me via ***

Emis Moderator comment: I have removed the email address as we do not publish these. You can use the Private Messaging facility if you do wish to make contact with each other.

3

I am 3 years post stroke and have many of the symptoms you mention. I also experience extreme mood swings, where I didn't before. I too had only a mild stroke. At first, I was on the end at record speed but muscle spasms hit that caused me to be basically bedridden. I was told I was faking the symptoms for attention. Ha! I wish. I finally saw a chiropractic neurologist on a fluke and surprisingly helped me alot! I am better than I was, but I have been backsliding. I am currently now trying to see Dr. Carrick in Atlanta. He also flies to Europe regularly...I would go see him if you can. Google him. Its crazy the stuff he does, but I know it works. My Dr. here has done a lot of the similar things on a smaller scale. I hope you find some relief.

The one thing I've learned about brain damage....NO ONE can predict what it will cause. No matter how small or large the brain damage.

4

I wonder if it is possible to have a mini stroke, and speech become slightly slurred, then a few months later have another mini stroke, making the speech more slurred and also making the left side weak and feeling numb? This is not myself, but a close friend. After the second episode, of feeling not with it, and "odd" then the symptoms disappeared, he attended hospital for tests the following day. He was told it was not a stroke, and after 3 days stay in hospital and other tests, was told it was motor neurone disease. Now, six months later the leg and arm have become very weak and it is difficult to walk, but if it was a mini stroke and it was ignored, could the arm and leg symptoms become worse? I have asked this question in various places, but nobody seems to be able to answer it, because they say if it was a stroke it would be treated, but, I have been told by health professionals, that not all strokes show up on a scan, so if this was the case, then it may have been a stroke, but not treated as a stroke because they could not see the evidence.

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Dear sicknfedup, I hope you are doing well as this has been about a year since you have posted this. I actually found this by googling strokes and why you still get them.

Ok here is my story and what I know so far, and hope this helps you as well as others.

November 13, my husband had a stroke. He went to the hospital and then to rehab for a few weeks. he is also a diabetic and has been for over 20 years along with heart disease. While he was in rehab things were going great, he seemed to talk pretty good and remember names and faces. Oh his stroke affected the right side of his body, he lost partial eye sight in the right eye, his right arm and leg were affected and his speech and mental ability were affected as well. He had a relapse there in rehab after being there a few days and made him worse. So he had to be put back in the hospital and then after a week he went back into rehab. He finally came home before Christmas. during that time he wasn't able to talk very well or get the words out he wanted to. His memory was bad and he wasn't able to walk very well at all. Then Jan 1st he had another stroke and yes this was confirmed by the doctors he had a stroke. He went through rehab for about 6 weeks well actually he went to a nursing home. He came back home in Feb. of 2014. He had another stroke in March and is still in the nursing home. In July he again had another stroke. Just this past Friday he had another stroke. These were all confirmed by the doctors in the hospital. So I asked questions about when these strokes were going to stop no one can give me any answers and he is taking seizure meds, plavix, asprin, the whole nine yards of meds. He just went to the cardio doctor last week. I asked him about the strokes and he said "he won't get anymore strokes cause he is on the good meds. But... he has been on these meds since Novemeber. He still keeps getting the strokes. He has the same symptoms as you do by the way. I am not sure but you may have been getting strokes over and over again because he has. I don't know how much longer he can hold out. I wish these doctors would quit playing games with us and tell us the truth. I hope you are getting better. I hope this helps a little for you and your family. You are not alone.

6

I just wanted to respond to say that I also have a similar experience. I had an ischemic stroke 5 years ago (at age 38) and since then I have had hundreds of strange episodes that seem related to the brain or that might be TIA's or something similar. I still have these episodes periodically and sometimes daily. It always seems worse when I am fatigued or tired. And thy can be mild or downright terrifying.

I also suffer from migraines so it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between migraine symptoms and stroke injury symptoms. I am still going to neurologist and will have another MRI soon to check for any new strokes. Tonight both of my hands went partially numb and then returned to normal after a few hours. I knew I was already tired and pushed myself to go to the store anyway, so I assumed I would experience some type of sensory deficit.

Sorry I don't have an answer but after 5 years of experiencing this, I don't seem to be dying from strokes. This might just be residual effects from the damaged brain and when fatigued or stressed, the brain may simply not be able to keep up with all the processes. Good luck to you.

7

Wow. I thought I was the only one that went through this. The doctors are always telling me it's panic attacks, but then again they were telling me that when they were shoving Xanax down my throat before I had my first stroke because I was "too young". But the way sicknfedup describes how he feels at times is the almost daily norm for me, and have not had anyone else describe it like that. I did notice that it seems worse when I am tired. There are days it gets so bad that I just can't function, and I also get stuck on words, but my neurologist claims that it isn't consistent. I have seizures on my left side. I have a hard time putting to words and keeping on track what I want to say, I am a bit of a scatter brain. But I have so many strange little things that happen, and some of it absolutely horrifying...I just get sick of people not understanding, or more importantly just believing me. They just think I'm being paranoid, but it's not much fun when your fingertips start to go numb and it spreads to your jawline and across your face...and there is nothing you can do about it. I generally feel ok. I never really feel great. But on the days that I have my episodes, I just can't function. I have mild seisures on my left side, numbness from my finger tips to my face, all the way to my leg. Visual "anomalies". Sometimes people look like they are really far away even if they are right next to me, yet they look huge. And my arms will feel so fat that I just can't pick them up. Sharp shooting pain in my head. And vision problems. It seems like I start to lose sight in just my left eye, and then it comes back. And then I just don't have the energy after it all passes to do anything. And this can last for hours. At some times it can cause me to have fits of extreme anger. I'm 36. I have had 2 strokes. I'm to the point now that I wish it would just kill me and get it over with, because I'm sick of feeling like this all the time. I'm 36, and all I have to look foward to is more of this. It will never end. It is a little comforting and saddening to know that there are others that understand at least.

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I have also had all fingertips on my right hand go completely numb and then my tongue and half of my lips. But the numbness also spread to the rest of my hand and up my arm to the jawline like you wrote. At the ER I was diagnosed with complicated migraine which means no one knows what happened. I have had at least one stroke at age 38 but 2 lesions were found on my first MRI (5 years ago) and I go for a second MRI next month to see if I have any more visible lesions. I also have the heavy arms and visual anomalies. I know how you feel, I am not afraid of death either, once you've been robbed of abilities to control your body the fear of what another stroke can do to you is very rational. Not death but basically becoming a living corpse rotting away in a bed. If that isn't horrifying I don't know what is. I have had times where I greatly improved by lifestyle changes and a lot of luck too though. For about a year I actually felt human and didn't live in constant fear. but then my back went out and started having scary a$$ palpitations which drove me back to a bad and retricted lifestyle. And now my arm is going numb again, vertigo is back and I get nauseous when I go to the store. Hope I can get back to where I was in 2013. (FYI stroke was in 2010) 

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Hi, I just signed up on this site and caught your post. I was wondering how you are doing and if you had your MRI yet. I too am wondering if issues that arise are residual effects and no one can seem to confirm thats even possible. After my stroke in Jan, I made exceptional recovery, I got all practically back on my rt side. I still have a slur but I can be understood. a few months after the stroke I was getting double vision episodes and light headedness. I emailed my gp he emailed back I should consider seeing an eye dr. Finally they went away and basically all I had was still the fatigue, no where near as bad as at first tho. then few more months passed and now for several days I have had spiderwebby feelings on the right side of my face and neck off and on lasting only a few minutes each time. I had one episode of dble vision and did go to the eye dr. He said due to my sroke in Jan, my right eye is weaker and not moving in sinc with my left eye, hence causeing possibly double vision. yesterday and today I have also been getting stabbing ice pick headaches that only last like a minute. From my mri and other tests done at time of my stroke my record shows no other obvious problems so Im thinking I cant be headed for another stroke yet I can not help but worry I am. My Dr hasnt been much help and I do not have ins to cover Dr visits, er etc.. so Im hoping these things are just effects from the original stroke. So any info or input you might have would be apreciated.

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What's even harder about a lot of it too is that my girlfriend of 15 years doesn't understand. My particular situation was caused from a birth defect, so to say. And happened gradually over many years. So when it finally happened, the other blood vessels had had time to compensate some, so I don't have any permanent visable distortions or speech impediments. Even though It was on the right side of my brain, affecting my left, I still have memory problems, which my doctor says isn't consistent with that side. I get stuck on words frequemtly, and lose words all together. People look at me and don't see a visable problem outward, and don't understand when I'm having problems inward. When I'm having a rough day they just don't get it. I'm constantly telling my friends that they should try and see how I see things every day...it's not the same way I saw things 6 years ago. Everything looks strange, I have just gotten used to it and function this way. You think it's a rush riding a street bike as a normal heathy person, you should feel the rush when you are in a half panic that you are trying to control while your arm is half numb while you are flying at 160mph...that is one thing I will die before I give up...I won't die a corpse bed ridden. I'm going to die a bloody heap of road rash!

11

I have also had the double vision and the trigeminal sensations on the face. I also had the slur much longer than the limb paralysis as well as a droopy lip. Those went away over the course of a year. I don't have much info about exactly why these things happen but it would make sense that after a stroke, enough damage could be done to cause many strange deficits and symptoms. No one knows enough about the brain to be able to tell you if what is happening is from a prior stroke or another condition/event. To tell someone their post stroke symptoms aren't typical seems like a stretch. The brain isn't just another organ... it is the main organ in the body that is part of a system that controls all other organs and systems.

 Throw some water on a robot's circuitboard and if some of the components are damaged changing values and outputs, etc. you are going to have some crazy robot activities.... especially if the program is rigged to compensate and adjust for imbalances. And robots are a billion times simpler than the human brain and aren't effected by lack of sleep, diet, exercise, stress... etc.

All that said, I believe it is possible to relapse from a stroke at a later date similar to other conditions like MS. Treat yourself like a princess... the brain needs more relaxation time after something as severe as an attack that kills part of its control center. It's hard to do when you're a male and used to toughing it out all your life. i don't think doctors can help us much.... unless there is a test that shows something. If we werer rich and could live at the hospital until an attack happened, then we could get in the fMRI or whatever machine we need and try to scoop up some data.... then compare it with our brain activity when feeling well.The test really needs to gather neural activity against an established baseline which is not a test any doctor has suggested to me.

12

I know what you mean, the world doesn't look the same, feel the same or anything. I am also very afraid due to the current laws which disallow euthanasia. If euthanasia was legal and I could include it in my living will, I would be terrified to end up as a "bed ridden corpse" and I could go out and live my life with a more secure feeling. Just hang in there and keep searching for answers.... maybe one of us will figure something out by accident. 

13

Now why cant a Dr speak like that? You spoke wth clarity that people like me can understand. And everything you say is what I've been thinking, it makes so much sense but when a person feels alone anyway and all response I can get from a DR is vague answers and responses like keep taking your meds to lower my risk. Its a scary deal, every weird sensation Im thinking uh oh whats this? A sign of a 2nd stroke? I email my DR with a question and let him know whats going on because I cant afford the Dr visits, and Im lucky to get a reply back in 2 days with just a, "watch your symptoms, keep taking your bp med, bla bla" The right side of my mouth my wife informs me draws back at times, no where near how it did during the stroke but noticably and I seem to slur worse the more and or faster I talk. Everyone told me sign on to disability, I just couldnt concede to that. I've worked all my life and have ran a shop for over 20 years, yes I have had to slow down, Im going through the "accepting phase" that I cant work like I did before, but with these scary episodes happening I dont think the Dr's realize the full mental impact on us and what we go through. I want to thank you for your response, it has done me alot of good reading it.

 

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I know exactly what your saying. And thinking this is what life is going to be like, I cant afford to run to the Dr with everything that comes up, probably couldnt get in anyway, so each thing Im thinking this is another stroke coming, If I could just get past that way of thinking I would do so much better. This is the first site I have come across that has people that seem to have and be going through things very similair to me. I couldnt seem to get answers or even aknowledgement anywhere else of what I have been going through. It seems for me to that after an episode of something weather it be double vision face numbness, etc, I feel so drained afterward and I start thinking was that a mini stroke or something? This site has helped me out alot the short time I have been on it. Beleive me, I know the feeling of giving up but dont, think of it as being a determined warrior against this stroke thing.

 

15

Good to hear that. Actually my stroke was the second brain injury I suffered. I had previously taken 2 drugs at once for insomnia prescribed by my doctor which left me disabled. Biggest mistake of my life. I never returned to full time work. But being proud I never applied for disability. That is, until I woke up paralyzed on one side (3.5 years after the first brain injury). I couldn't even work at all after the stroke so I applied for disability.... still took 2.5 years for acceptance. It almost killed me waiting for that financial help. Couldn't get any help for several years due to losing my insurance I had when I couldn't work full time anymore. Couldn't get many medical documents needed for my disability case because I had no insurance and no doctors wanted to do anything.  I don't mean to get political but that's when I started wishing we had universal healthcare in this country. I miss the 90's when your employer paid your premiums and insurance covered what you needed. Also, I developed a tick (among other weird symptoms) a full year after the stroke, so who knows how that works. Seems like a neurologist would have some knowledge about this since they are a doctor that specifically studies the brain and deals with stroke patients. 

16

I hear ya. A few days before I was released from the hospital I was told I would never walk again or speak coherantly, I proved them wrong. I was released from the hospital and was told to go to my personal Dr a week later for follow up, I did, albeit with a walker but did. My wife asked him should I check into getting disability which the hospital had brought me forms while I was there, My Dr said you can try but you wont get it. Which I wanted to go back to work but Im thinking Why wouldnt I get it? Whats that saying, Im not 1/2 the man I used to be? So anyway after 12 days I went back to work, it was that or starve, Im still working, only 3 to 4 days a week and its tough physicaly as well as financialy but we're making it. I have ins but its lousy, but all I could afford. It did pay 100.00 on the ambulance bill of 1280.00 and 20.00 each to a few of the Drs who's total bill is 28000.00. This stroke has sure squashed alot of plans I had but Im trying not to dwell on it, a stroke sure wakes you up to reality and whats most important, health! It would probably hurt my chances of disability because my Dr (the few times Ive seen him) states how much Im improving, which I am but after the stroke and being paralyzed like I was just being able to speak is an improvment, but does that mean I can work and provide like I was able to before? No! I am intending to sue the ER Dr who refused to treat me because of mis diagnosis, thats another long story in itself. I've been putting it off because of the stress, plus I've been having these weird things cropping up. I hate to hear what you've been through but your a testament to others. Im wishing you all the best.

 

17

I know, after the first brain injury I could only work 1 to 3 days a week part time. Then after the stroke I was pretty much done. Walked with a cane for a couple of years...mainly for balance. The problem with improving after a stroke is that you can also backslide at any time. If you are going to sue (which is the last thing you want to do after a brain attack) do it before the measly statute of limitations runs out. I swear I think those limitations are placed so by the time you realize what's going on, you can no longer sue for damages. I didn't get my MRI for 20 hours after I arrived at the hospital.... I'm pretty sure you're supposed to get it within 3 hours. But by that time I was so depressed I just wanted to crawl in a hole. Good luck to you too. 

18

I used to run to the emergency room every time it would happen, and they always tell me the same thing. So I'm to the point now that I won't go unless I'm on the floor like what happened with the big one. For a time it was so bad I was in the hospital a couple times a week having symptoms. They kept saying it was just panic attacks and that I was just too young...I actually did a bunch of online research and found a primary doctor that would give me the referral's for the tests I wanted even though she thought I was crazy. The test that caught it was the Angiogram (probably spelled wrong) using an MRI machine. Not the catheter. They freaked out, and called my doctor and told her to get me back in there right away, and a day before is when it hit.

Even as I am typing this my figures are numb. I just get sick of running every time and they can't find anything. And then they just think I'm crazy. I wish I had a super power to make them feel it for a few minutes to watch them freak out. I'm getting ready to file bankruptcy because my credit is killed from the hospital bills.

19

I've been told I have a year, everytime I start going over it trying to go forward with it I get so upset physically so I have been putting it off. I'll put briefly what happened, The day of my stroke, after work I had nearly 3 beers. I am by no means a heavy drinker. At card games, get togethers etc I'll have a few beers. I had the beers this day (see I feel I have to defend myself) it helps with my bum hip I have. I went home had a fairly large supper, on the computer, watched tv then went to take a shower.As I got out, dbl vision hit then I went down & every classic stroke symptom I've seen/heard all my life hit me immediately, my mouth dropped (rt side) severely my arm wouldnt lift etc, wife called 911 operator from phone knew stroke, ambulance people knew stroke, looked at my wife and said hes stroking we're loading him what hospital do you want. They called ahead to have a stroke team ready at hospital.At hospital my wife was whisked away to be told what to expect even called in a chaplain. Then the Er Dr comes in, gives me a sobriety test then again, tells me Im not having stroke that Im drunk, my bp is 224/101. My wife is brought in, Im desperately trying to say Im not drunk, no one can understand me. My wife is no idiot, the stroke is obvious shes arguing and pleading with Dr. He keeps telling her (hes hindu)" he no stroke, Im expert, seen thousands of times, hes drunk, look how hes slurring, take him home, he sober up he be fine" My wife finnally talked him in to doing cat scan, it came back clear he said "see no stroke" I learned later a ct shows only bleeders and tumors. He kept saying" take him home he drunk" Im watching the clock in there knowing time is ticking away to get the tpa stroke med. Everything eased off for alittle bit then all came on again 4 more times while that DR amused looking at me and said "you've done this to yourself, you drunk"After the last onset the paralysis on my rt side stayed. After 4 hrs someone I dont know who decided to admit me to the stroke ward, too late now for the tpa med. then 5 hrs later given MRI guess what, they were sorry to tell me but the mri showed I had had a pretty bad stroke, well no freakin kidding! Anyway thats the short version of what happened. I was not treated not even given an aspirin or my head laid back, mis diagnosed and now slandered in all my medical records that Dr has put that I am a chronic alchol abuser over & over in records and that "patient arrived at hospital intoxicated" hes continuing with his story just to cover his rear.

 

20

I understand completely what your saying. I've decided to deal with everything I can and until like you said when Im on the floor again I guess thats when I will go to the er.And yeah my credits shot too, Im making payments to the ambulance people, but everyone else, hospital, drs etc have now turned me over to collection agencies.When I picture the Er dr looking down at me on the gurnie so amused telling me "its not a stroke" thought I was drunk because I was slurring so bad, I feel the same way, him on that gurnie stroking, scared to death and someone laughing over him telling him hes just drunk, go home and sober up! unbeleivable! but true thats what happened to me. And now my primary Dr just tells me if symptoms continue and dont go away call emergency!