[shakespeare47]

Last year in May I had a suspected TIA - it started out as numbness in my right arm - and then maybe some speech involvement (I called out to my wife and it just felt weird). The numbness and speech involvement resolved quickly - but my right arm and hand still felt a little strange.

So - we took a trip to the ER and they treated me to a CAT scan - in which they found no evidence of stroke (good news!) - but my right hand still felt a little odd even after being there for a few hours. They found no weakness, but holding a pen felt awkward.

When I finally got home at about 3 in the morning - I went to brush my teeth, and I found I couldn't brush vigorously (I'm right handed) - then I tried tracing my initials on our mirror, and I found it very difficult to keep even pressure on the mirror. By the time I got up the next morning, everything was completely back to normal.

Over the next few weeks I saw a neurologist and a cardiologist - they did various tests and found no blockages in either carotid artery - The MRI revealed no evidence of stroke. The stress test indicated that my blood pressure was high. They also did a "bubble test" and found a small hole in my heart - it was small enough that an operation is not warranted at this time.

Since the TIA, I've been on a blood pressure medication, a medication that treats my high triglycerides and high cholesterol, and Xarelto - to prevent blood clots. (before the TIA I was only on a medication that treated my high triglycerides).

I went in for a check-up at the VA today, and my blood pressure still looks good - no need for any changes at this time.

[Skeezyks]

Thanks for sharing this. At my advanced age, I expect i'll be dealing with some similar sorts of things sooner or later. (To some extent, I'm surprised it hasn't already occurred.) So it was interesting to me to read about your experiences. Glad it all seems to be working out well for you.

[shakespeare47]

Originally Posted by Skeezyks

Thanks for sharing this. At my advanced age, I expect i'll be dealing with some similar sorts of things sooner or later. (To some extent, I'm surprised it hasn't already occurred.) So it was interesting to me to read about your experiences. Glad it all seems to be working out well for you.

I'll be 56 next month, by the way... It scared me at the time - but my life is pretty much the same as it was before... I recently started playing pickleball, and I continue to play disc golf. I still think about buying a dirt bike... but I'm not sure if my wife would be happy with the extra monthly payments.

[Skeezyks]

Originally Posted by shakespeare47

I'll be 56 next month, by the way... It scared me at the time - but my life is pretty much the same as it was before... I recently started playing pickleball, and I continue to play disc golf. I still think about buying a dirt bike... but I'm not sure if my wife would be happy with the extra monthly payments.

Well... I have a few years on ya... (74 here!) Yes, I can imagine how scary this would be. A few years ago I developed intense pain in my lower left abdomen. It was Saturday evening (of course!) So I ended up in the ER too. (There was nowhere else to go.) Turned out it was a kidney stone. I'd never had one. So I didn't realize what was happening. I subsequently saw a urologist. But the stone ended up dissolving on it's own. It's scary though when things like these come up & you don't know what's happening to you.