I had a TIA. Or at least that is what two neurologists have concluded.
Towards the end of the work day on Friday, July 6, I started to feel some numbness on the right side of my face and in my right hand. I dismissed this at first, until I received a phone call. As I attempted to formulate words over the phone in response to the questions I was being asked, they were not the same words I was thinking. And I began stuttering. I knew what I wanted to say, but I was experiencing aphasia. Something was very wrong.
After I managed to get through the phone call, and explain to two of my coworkers what was happening, one of them called my OB's office. "Go to the emergency room." And to the emergency room (again) I went.
Sparing you the details of my near refusal to get an MRI ("Lay down, hold still, use these ear plugs for the noise, and sorry if you're claustrophobic." Yeah right.), extraction of vials and vials of blood, an ultrasound on my throat, attempting to sleep with a compression machine on my calf's and being admitted overnight for observation, I now have not one, but two incidents in pregnancy never before seen by my OB.
So now on top of my more frequent prenatal visits and speech therapy appointments, I had a follow up visit with a neurologist and later will be meeting with a high risk pregnancy doctor. With the neurologist, I went over in detail what happened to me two Fridays ago. Ruling out a migraine and observing some small abnormalities in my tests, some of which may only be appearing due to pregnancy, I was told this has to be ruled a TIA. Indefinitely, it's Baby Aspirin for life. Following pregnancy, I will have a repeat of tests, plus a transesophageal echo to find my real susceptibility to a full-fledged stroke.
Oh me and pregnancy.
Bonus: Because of what happened, by OB sent me in on Monday for a growth update ultrasound. Baby P weighed a perfect 4lb 8oz (52nd percentile). I was told to expect a healthy babe in the high sevens low eights.
Towards the end of the work day on Friday, July 6, I started to feel some numbness on the right side of my face and in my right hand. I dismissed this at first, until I received a phone call. As I attempted to formulate words over the phone in response to the questions I was being asked, they were not the same words I was thinking. And I began stuttering. I knew what I wanted to say, but I was experiencing aphasia. Something was very wrong.
After I managed to get through the phone call, and explain to two of my coworkers what was happening, one of them called my OB's office. "Go to the emergency room." And to the emergency room (again) I went.
Sparing you the details of my near refusal to get an MRI ("Lay down, hold still, use these ear plugs for the noise, and sorry if you're claustrophobic." Yeah right.), extraction of vials and vials of blood, an ultrasound on my throat, attempting to sleep with a compression machine on my calf's and being admitted overnight for observation, I now have not one, but two incidents in pregnancy never before seen by my OB.
So now on top of my more frequent prenatal visits and speech therapy appointments, I had a follow up visit with a neurologist and later will be meeting with a high risk pregnancy doctor. With the neurologist, I went over in detail what happened to me two Fridays ago. Ruling out a migraine and observing some small abnormalities in my tests, some of which may only be appearing due to pregnancy, I was told this has to be ruled a TIA. Indefinitely, it's Baby Aspirin for life. Following pregnancy, I will have a repeat of tests, plus a transesophageal echo to find my real susceptibility to a full-fledged stroke.
Oh me and pregnancy.
Bonus: Because of what happened, by OB sent me in on Monday for a growth update ultrasound. Baby P weighed a perfect 4lb 8oz (52nd percentile). I was told to expect a healthy babe in the high sevens low eights.
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