A Traumatic Experience
It was 10 pm on February 28th, 2020. I was in bed catching up on my favorite shows such as This is Us, and Blue Bloods. I went to the bathroom because I felt a funny feeling on my face. As I was brushing my teeth for the night, I looked into the mirror and noticed the entire right side of my face was swollen and very droopy. The feeling was so bizarre because it happened while I was in bed. I ran downstairs to my ex, and I asked him what the heck this could be. He was like, “we have to go to the hospital, I think you’re having a stroke”. I’m like a stroke at my age? No way!!! I said could it be allergies to something? He said we didn’t eat anything different. I said to him “ Let me sleep on it.” So I slept on it. Maybe the swelling and droop will go away in the morning. I had to take an Uber to my local emergency room.
The team was incredible. I wanted to thank them from the bottom of my heart. They are truly the best. I thank you for saving my life. They took me immediately and all of a sudden three Doctors and ten Nurses came in. I have never seen so many people in the ED in my life. I was considered a stroke patient. I didn’t even know how to breathe, so the Doctor was telling me to remain calm. I was so scared. I couldn’t speak right and my face kept drooping more. They had to give me something to calm me down through IV. All I remember was a Nurse running like a lunatic while I was on the stretcher to get a CAT SCAN within 2 seconds. Then everyone came back into the room one Nurse was sticking me in my left arm for IV and meds. The other Nurse was doing an EKG on me. Then I had three Doctors talking to me one by one. Then, in came another machine. I had to talk to 2 Doctors on a screen and a woman from the stroke unit at the main hospital. I had to do a bunch of crazy stroke testing. One by one, I completed everything. Boy, that was just by far exhausting. My Cat scan of my brain was normal. You usually cannot detect a lesion (stroke symptoms) on a cat scan. I can’t get an MRI done because I wear a Cochlear Implant on my right ear because I am Deaf, so that’s why the ED had to do the CT SCAN. The Doctor ran all my blood work. Four hours later I am still at the hospital and I was told that I most likely had a Mini Stroke due to my migraines and that they have to transfer me via ambulance to the main hospital where they will admit me. I was told by the ED Doctor that my sugar was normal (because they pricked my finger upon arrival). I do not have diabetes, I do not have high blood pressure, and I also don’t have high cholesterol. All three Doctors and Nurses were baffled because usually one of those causes a Stroke. I explained I had the worst migraines for so long. Finally, I was transferred to the other hospital which was 30 minutes away from where I live. I had to stay for a couple of days for more extensive testing. I was just beyond exhausted. Just when I thought I had been through plenty, this happens out of nowhere. This is a lot to take in all at one time. Days go by and I am finally discharged. I officially had a Mini Stroke after all the testing was completed. I have to take Aspirin for the rest of my life, to prevent another Mini Stroke.
I had a Mini Stroke due to something called a PFO. A PFO is a small hole in my heart which causes strokes and migraines. I have to have the hole in my heart closed, ASAP. But before I can do that I have to have a TEE procedure done and a loop recorder placed. I am currently waiting for insurance to approve both of them.
What a learned from this scary experience was DO NOT WAIT. They have until 4 hours to give me medication. Waiting over night was a big no no. Yes, I had a great excuse because I was so sick and tired of being in the ED, but this was extreme. Lesson learned. Sometimes we learn the hard way.
🤟🏻 Danielle