As I prepared for work, I could
barely get my feet to move. I was
running behind and decided to put
my makeup on at work. The drive
seemed loud and never-ending.
Once inside, I headed to the
restroom. My knees began to shake
and my heart started to race. As I
was making my way back to my
desk, the right side of my face began
to tingle and twinge. This was very
odd and startling. Out of sheer
curiosity I Googled the signs of a
stroke. I knew the acronym was
F.A.C.E., but I couldn’t remember
what each letter stood for. Before I
could click send the entire right side
of my face dropped instantly! My
hand froze on the mouse. No way
was I having a stroke! My right arm
and leg were stiff and I couldn’t
move them! I turned to tell my
neighbor what was going on, but I
couldn’t even talk! My words were
slurred and slow and I couldn’t even
raise my voice. With my left foot, I
began to kick the desk like a mad
woman. My neighbor had earbuds
in and was not able to hear me.
She finally turned around and she
knew immediately something was
seriously wrong. She ran and away
and came back with my supervisor.
Everything started happening so
fast! The aisle filled up with people
and the ambulance was on the way.
The ride to the hospital was scary. I
couldn’t help but panic.
It is the worst feeling to panic and
not be able to speak. Upon arrival at
the hospital, the nurses and doctors
were waiting for me. Thankfully, I
didn’t have to wait to be seen.
They tried to talk to me, but I still could not speak and the
pain in my head turned to a strange pressure. The lights
and sounds around me seemed to incite even more
pressure. Their first course of action was a CT scan. I
wanted their first course of action to be the heavy drugs!
(Haha! I can laugh about it now!) I wanted that pain gone.
The CT scan returned no results. The resident physician
said that I was having a benign migraine that can mimic
the symptoms of a stroke. (Having a benign migraine?
What the heck is that?) Just give me something for the
pain was all I could keep thinking. Finally, they gave me
some pain medication, and I was in and out of sleep.
Intermittently, I could speak and I was able to convey to
the staff that I did not want to be sent home. I explained
to them that I had already been to the emergency room
two other times before at a different hospital. I knew my
body, and I knew something was wrong. They agreed to
keep me overnight for observation. During the night, they
took me for an MRI. After the MRI, I was prepared to
nestle in for the night. Just as I was getting comfortable
and feeling the effects of the pain medication, a physician
that I hadn’t seen earlier, came into my observation
room. He told me that I had “a” blood clot in my brain,
and I was being admitted. I did in fact have a stroke and it
was because of the blood clots. The diagnosis was Venous
Thrombosis of the brain. I remember breathing heavy
and laying there in disbelief. Like, where did it come
from? Why is it there of all places? He told me I was going
to be moved to the neurology floor immediately. But
before they moved me, a whirlwind of doctors and nurses
came into the room. They started six IV’s, three in each
arm. All of them were for blood thinner. Then injections
in my stomach and oral pills followed along with another
blood thinner. Within an hour, I was as weak as a piece of
paper. I even blinked in slow motion.
The clot was inoperable and all they could do was give me
blood thinner with the hopes that the clot would dissolve.
The next morning, I was taken to radiology for
ultrasounds. The goal was to find out if there were clots in
any other areas of my body, but they found none. As I lay
there, a neurologist walked in and interrupted the
ultrasound.
FAITH HEART MAGAZINE I 7