In the hospital.
I had a mini-stroke.
I think it's been coming on for quite a while. While I was lying in bed in the hospital I was thinking of some incidences in the recent past that were probably warnings. I'd have a momentary woozy feel, a little loss of balance. Sometimes I'd lose track in a conversation.
I woke up Friday morning, had to go to the bathroom. Sort of bounced off the sides of the doors, and when I finished what needed finishing, decided I didn't want to stay up. This was about 0930. Finally got up again, and this is when things begin to get a little confused. I think it was getting on to noon when I finally rolled out of bed, and just didn't feel right.
Walking from the kitchen to the living room was an erratic course, and I just felt strange. Phoned Megan and found that I was slurring my words, and had some trouble getting the words out of my mouth. I called her back again after about a half hour and told her I was going to call 911.
By this time I KNEW I was in trouble. I could hardly sit up in my chair, had trouble talking to the 911 dispatcher. I do remember telling her I was feeling stroke-ish. She got my address then transferred me to the fire station, which just incidentally is around the corner from me. The dispatcher there kept telling me to stay seated. Don't try to move. Asked if the front door was open (unlocked). It was. While I was on the line with her I heard the fire engine pull into the parking lot.
I think the whole station crew came. There was one woman, and 6 or 8 men crowded in this little area around my computer/telephone. Well, after questions and mumbled, stumbled answers, the Medic who was questioning me asked where I wanted to go. I didn't know. However, I think he'd already decided that we were to go to Mercy General because they have a stroke management unit there.
I'm pretty much out of it. The Medic kept asking me questions, and when I'd fade away (I wanted to sleep), he say "Are you with me? Are you still with me? Stay with me now."
He did a terrible job of starting an IV line. I have a huge hematoma (bruise) in the antecubitus (inner elbow). The technical terms here are for Trauma Mama. Anyway, the ambulance wasn't even moving yet; we were still in the parking lot. Megan looked at the area this evening and opined that even she could do a better job, even though she'd never been trained. I believe she could.
I remember seeing the clock in the Stoke Unit when I was admitted. It was 16 hours (4:00pm).
Anyway...one pleasant thing during the admitting and waiting period. There was this absolutely jeee-or-jeous! doctor, with an intriguing accent. Lots of black hair, very neatly trimmed, black eyebrows, dark brown eyes, slightly swarthy skin, a handsome nose, and a dimple in his chin. I asked him where he's from. Iran. He said "I'm Persian." I may be old enough to be his mother, and maybe even his grandmother, but oh, my! did I ever enjoy looking.
Well, eventually I got sent upstairs to Neuro where an IV was started and I got settled in bed. Still pretty much incoherent speech, but aware of time and place. Had a darling nurse who has a wonderful sense of humor. Then when the shift changed got another one who teased me and we had some laughs together.
I got maybe a total of three hours sleep last night. The woman in the other bed was in a great deal of pain, incoherent and hallucinating. The nurse had given me a sleeping pill, and about the time I drowsed of, the other patient starting yelling. This happened all night long. But I have trouble sleeping in a strange bed, and in particular hospital beds. I did manage a nap after she got taken to surgery.
Oh, yes, in the admitting room, I ended up with a urinary catheter because I just absolutely canNOT pee in a bedpan, and there was no way anyone was going to let me out of bed and into the restroom. But I had to give a sample, and that's the only way they were going to get it. I did get it removed after a couple hours, and was allowed (with assistance) to go to the restroom. Oh, yes, and I'm allergic to iodine, and Betadine is standard for cleaning the area. So the nurse had to go find another cleansing agent, but at least I don't have blisters on that very sensitive area. Ewww. Just thinking about it.....!
By morning I was feeling pretty much back to normal. No more slurred speech, no more dizziness, but I wasn't allowed to get up by myself yet. As the day progressed and I became steadier, and the nurse checked out my gait, she did OK me to go to the bathroom by myself.
Secure Horizons is going to get a humungous bill. Along with the specialized treatment, I also had a cardiac echogram and a carotid echogram. With sound. It's a good thing we can't hear what all goes on in our bodies. We are noisy!!
Of course, it took forever for the reports to get back up to the nursing station, and it wasn't until 1700 hours the nurse told me the doctor had written discharge orders. Another patient was admitted, and the nurse had her hands full, so my discharge got put on the back burner. I finally was wheelchaired out to the parking lot, where Megan was waiting for me, at 1900 hours.
I have to get a prescription for captopril and use it along with the hydroclorothizide I'm already taking for high blood pressure. The amazing thing about the BP is that once I got settled down the pressure came back down to normal. In the ambulance it was 200/something. Don't remember the diastolic number. Also got a fingerprick for a drop of blood to measure the blood glucose. Ninety-six, and this was after I had eaten a pound of chocolate. (Yes, I binged)
Also, that gorgeous Persian said to take baby aspirin daily, even though I'm taking prednisone, as long as there's no stomach upset. Shouldn't be with that low dosage. Or maybe I just won't take them at the same time. The other doctor in the Stoke Unit said that there's a good chance of a major stroke within a year.
So, consolidating what Gorgeous said, and what the other doctor said, and what the nurse said, I think a lifestyle revision is in order. And pay close attention to what's going on in my head.
Well, I'm home now. Shoulder still hurts some, and will start physical therapy on Wednesday. Need to call my doctor on Monday and get the records from the hospital sent to him, make a follow-up appointment with him, and see what goes from there.
And dinner this evening had a slice of pork on the plate. Yeeeeuuukkk!!!
OK. Gonna go read today's paper then go to bed.
Shalom