Posted on 07/31/2011 10:36:44 PM PDT by Absolutely Nobama
Freepers, I need your help.
A couple of weeks ago, I had a mini-stroke. As of this writing, I still feel horrible. I get fatigued easily (like I've read the New York Slimes )and I get constant headaches. Also, my short term memory is non-existent and my spelling has gone from lousy to it looks like Joe Biden is my editor.
Has anyone else had any experience with this ?
Sorry- these suggestions are just to help with the stress part of your situation, you should get several medical opinions as these (mini strokes) are often misdiagnosed.
Dealing with the stress can help lessen the symptoms which is very important to recovery.
My sincere sympathies and best wishes for a successful recovery, my FRiend.
This is part of the therapy. I take a chewable every morning.
If they put you on a blood thinner, like Coumadin, that could be the issue. I have had several friends and family members put on that stuff and it really affected cognitive performance.
Not sure of your age but this happened to my mother three years ago (she was 76 at the time). We suspect that she had actually had a series of small strokes that had gone unnoticed before having an obvious episode that caused her to be hospitalized.
I took her to a neurologist based on a referral but I wish that I had done more checking because he really didn’t deal with stroke related brain damage. He basically said to just wait and maybe the other side of her brain would take over for the damaged area - which did not happen! If I had known more then, I might have tried to get a second opinion and I might have insisted on some occupational therapy.
We had a PET scan done last year and there is basically no blood flow to her left temporal lobe, which is what controls short term memory, ability to read/recognize letters, and executive functioning. She had to quit driving and is now living in a independent living retirement home.
I would really recommend that you find a doctor who specializes in stroke damage and try to get started on some therapies to reactivate areas of the brain - don’t wait to get better because without help, you may not improve. Also, make sure that you take someone with you to all appointments who will take notes, ask questions and be your advocate!
Take care and God bless!
I don’t have the same symptoms as my stroke. When I had it, the left side of my body went numb and and the left side of my face drooped.
I’m mostly concerned that it’s taking forever and a day to feel better.
I thought I had a mini-stroke last December, but now I think it was my leg and arm falling asleep due to sitting too long at the computer. (Too much Freeping!)
Did your fatigue, memory and spelling problems start just after the stroke — was the difference immediate and noticeable by others? There are other things that can cause fatigue and memory problems, depression for one. Having a stroke might make one depressed and distracted, for certain. The symptoms you mentioned don’t necessarily have to have come from the stroke.
Have you seen a stroke specialist? The average doctor isn’t qualified to determine if your symptoms have been caused by the stroke. You need to get in to see someone with a lot of experience with strokes.
You need to give your body the right nutrition it needs to heal. Health food stores have “green” blends of concentrated, dried organic vegetables. You get this stuff — it looks and tastes like freshly mowed grass — and you add it to orange juice and swallow it down. It does WONDERS for your health and energy level. It’s like mega-mega-nutrition in one glass. It would do you a lot of good and may give your body what it needs to heal.
Thank you. They are appreciated.
Have you had a spinal tap done during any of your episodes. A good Dr. might order one to check the white cell count in your spinal fluid to eliminate the possibility of CLL Leukemia, especially if neurology can find nothing wrong...
I agree. My mother in law 82, is in a facility because she has a history of strokes, 4 of them last summer, and my father in law is in an alzheimer facility, My husband had a nervous breakdown, and I fell and fractured my spine.
I’m definitely asking. This is unbearbable, like the backstabbing we endured in the House recently.
Alan, are you taking anything like Vytorin, statins, or beta blockers, cholesteral meds?
Heyyyyy! That seems a little harsh.
No need to go insulting heroin addicts.
I had massive headaches leading up to the episode, but prior to it, I never got any. (Unless I watched one of our “President” ‘s speeches.)
“I’m diabetic, so honey is out.”
Stay away from all chemical artificial sweeteners, like aspartame and sucralose. They can have bad effects on the brain, which you certainly don’t need.
Start using stevia instead — it’s a natural sweetener that is safe for diabetics. You can find it at any health food store, some grocery stores next to the artificial sweeteners, and I’ve seen it at Walmart in the supplements aisle with the vitamins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia
I’m willing to try anything. I’ll mention this, too.
Thank you. It’s appreciated. God bless you as well.
Thank you. God bless.
I haven’t had a stroke but did go into cardiac arrest two years ago, dropped dead, was revived, put into two comas, and woke up 6 days laters despite plans for my funeral, and said to myself, “OK, what the hell happened.”
Also had dozens of brain seizures, pneumonia, bed sores, etc.
To see how your mind is doing, try to think back to the earliest memories you have, and work your way up till today.
Think of little things only you know and see how many details you can remember. The same with pictures.
I have apparently suffered a little spelling dyslexia in that I transpose letters or type out the wrong word when I’m writing. (Speech not affected at all).
It takes time to heal so don’t panic. Read a lot, esp. thinks* that make you thing. Keeps resharpening the mind. Try crossword puzzles, etc.
Good luck. And take your perscribed medicines.
*In my reviewing what I wrote about, I spotted this very example of using a similar word for the one that I wanted. I’ve been doing this for years (Had a heart attack in 2002 so this might be from that one).
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