Stroke or not to Stroke. That is the question!

Hi Jonesy,

I'm no expert but that sounds like something serious did go on. Doing the right thing by putting it out there, have you called Strokeline?

Sue

Hi Ade,

We are so sorry to hear that you had such a frightening experience, but we are really glad you went to hospital. Whilst we aren't able to give you a diagnosis, your doctor can - they would assess your symptoms, consider your past history and run tests if necessary. Are you due to be reviewed by a hospital doctor or your GP? If no review was planned, book in to see your GP and let them know how you’ve been managing since Monday. Let them know about the bout of sadness you had, so they can suggest the best way to manage this. In the meantime, you know you can always call LifeLine if you felt you were in crisis or felt very low in mood.

We really hope you don’t experience any further episodes, but if you do experience something similar or signs of stroke, it’s really important to call 000 straight away rather than wait.

Please give us a ring StrokeLine if you would like to chat in more detail - sometimes this is easier. We are here Mondays to Fridays 9am-5pm AEST. We are also more than happy to give you a call if you’d be prefer, just let us know.

Take care Ade,

Lisa (StrokeLine)

Thanks all. Spoke to Strokeline feel so much better now. Will update my progress as see my Gp next week and other specialists. Thanks again Strokline especially Lisa. Sometimes you just need a listening ear who understands and doesnt judge and gives honest sound advice. Ade

Hi

what you had sounds very similar to what I had not exactly the same but similar, I had a TIA last September then 3 weeks later I woke in the middle of the night and my head felt really funny, i looked at my clock and it was spinning I couldn’t even tell you what the time was as I was so tired I must of just dropped back off to sleep again who knows I might of black out but being in the middle of the night ( I’m only saying that cause it was dark) know one would know, I certainly don’t as when I next woke up in the morning I totally forgot what had happened in the night and got up to go to toilet like normal but fell to one side and then the whole room was spinning, I felt nauseous and weak and basically collapsed back on the bed again, my husband wondered what was going on and bundled me in car and took me to emergency, I do remember drive down there though and was thinking hurry up over and over as the world was still spinning and feeling nauseous didn’t help.

In emergency my notes given to me at the end say I presented with BBVP vs ISCHAEMIA vs DEMYLENATION. I was in the ED unit for about 7-8 hours altogether until I felt reasonably back to myself, but to this day I really don’t know exactly what it was, I did have MRI and they confirmed it wasn’t another stroke though.

The ED unit we’re convinced it was vertigo to start with until tablet they gave me to help didn’t work as quick as they thought, then at one point I saw them spraying around my door as nurse had just taking my BP and rushed out the room, the dr came in and asked had I been to another country, I said to him then “is that why the nurse ran out of here thinking I had some disease” again still to this day I haven’t got any explanation.

To this day I still have days when I feel fatigue, I’ve even have dropped of to sleep around 5pm and suddenly woke an hour later not realising I fell asleep until I look at clock,( never really done this before last year activities happened to me), I’m only 43 so can’t put it down to a nanna nap 😂. I also still have my bouts with emotions being up and down, which is so not like me as before last year I was always a happy person generally. 

Dont know if this helps you any, I don’t think your going crazy, Just thought I would let you know what happened to me as reading what happened to you was good for me too, to know someone else out there has been through similar. 

Take care Beth

Beth.

Thankyou for your response, sorry for my late response but had another episode and been in hospital and exhausted mentally since(constantly sleeping) The latest episode saw me being unable to move any of my body while lying in the back of our car on the way to see my doctor. The details are very hazy as I am recalling it from a second person perspective as I can recall very little of it. My wife an witnesses to the event have filled in as many blanks as o\possible for me.

It all started with my first visit to my doctor after my original reported event. My doctor carried out various tests and noted new deficits on my left side and was convinced I had another stroke.

He arranged for an urgent ct scan but it showed nothing of interest so he urged the neurologists to admit me to the stroke rehab ward in Cairns till they could exclude stroke from my diagnosis. I was told to get down there as soon as possible that day and everything would be arranged. I got down there, was triaged and waited about 2 hours for a bed to become available. On the way to the ward I had another ct scan and then I was admitted to the rehab ward. Pretty much nothing else happened that night but the next morning a neurologist came in asked me why I was there. (My neurologist had flown out urgently to Sydney before my arrival). The Neurologist got me to squeeze his hands and walk and talk and then said nothing alarming so go home and have tests done as an outpatient . The whole time I was in Rehab I was feeling fine but previous to this my mind was completely clouded and thoughts were spinning around and round but I was unable to grab them. My surroundings were not spinning it was just in my head. Anyway the wardsmen took me out of the Stroke rehab ward in a wheelchair and down to the transit lounge awaiting a lift home from a friend of mine who lived close by. While sitting in the transit lounge I suddenly started to feel nauseous again and the ehadache from the first incident returned.All as I can hypothesise is in the quitness of the rehab ward the symptoms diminished but once back in the noisy busy environment sensory overload came into effect.I got collected by my friend and as I was waiting to get into her car something happened in a split second just like in the bathroom I blacked out but it was so quick I was able to regain my footing before falling to the road. I asked my friend what happened. She said "You fell backwards". I have no memory of that only a missing blip of info from my memorybank.

On the way back I vomited violently something that I had never experienced before . It was like a machine gun going off. My friend eventually got me home and I had to be carried by her and my wife's support worker out of the car and into bed as I was very weak. The support worker said I had turned a grey colour(whatever that means.) My doctor wanted to see me that same afternoon not impressed that I had not had any tests done prior to my release which apparently was the whole reason I was admitted. Once in bed I drifted in and out of consciousness. The next thing I remember is the support worker and my friend carrying me to the car. After that most of it is a blur. My wife tells me I became unressponsive in the back of the car where they had placed me and I was just repeating the same thing over and over again as I was questioned about things. The doctor came out and he phoned the ambulance. I woke up eventually in the ambulance crying and saying where am I and the ambulance man responding to me with "Welcome Back. You had a very bad turn and are on your way to hospital". Next thing I know I am in ED having a bunch of people checking me over and then they decide to send me home as by then i was alert again but with huge gap in my memory. Apparently I was out for about a half an hour. Just as they were arranging the paperwork to send me home again I violently threw up again (like a machine gun) The staff were renewing the bags as quick as I was using them. After this I got admitted . The ambulance had said I had GCS of 5 when they got to me so I was kept in hospital for longer. While in there I had another ct scan but when that revealed nothing (of course not I had already had 2 others and they were clear so why would this one be any different?) Anyway since this second even I have lost my perception of time which is kinda scary and I have huge gaps in my memory but I pray these changes are temporary. I finally had an Mri which apparently showed nothing. My doctor still believes I have had another stroke as the deficits I have are real and not imagined as the neurologist seems to think. I did some research online and apparently according to some medical evidence Mri does miss some strokes however doctors are not willing to accept it. I wish you all the best with your recovery and if it s a stoke you suffered Beth I am so glad you have a supportive husband who does not dismiss anything. I will keep you updated on my predicament but I pray I don't have any more events as they are downright scary and bring me to tears everytime I try to recall them.

Regards Ade 

Hi Ade

sorry to hear you have still been going through the mill so to speak, it’s not nice for anyone to go through these things especially when doctors can’t really pin point what it is. 

I definatly had TIA ( mini stroke) the first time but the second is still a ? Really. I like you had ct scans and MRI the second time and I got told didn’t show anything too. It’s funny what you said about neurologist asking you why you were in hospital and your doctor being the one who was saying they thought stroke and pushed to get things examined, my doctor was the same and the hospital doctors are the ones who asked why I was in hospital and who diagnosed my TIA, my answer to them was I didn’t diagnosed myself on doctor google and it was TIA clinic here at flinders ( Adelaide) at the hospital who diagnosed me, even after this 3 doctors and one heart specialist said they thought I was too young and it was probably a migraine, I told them I have migraines it wasn’t a migraine. I have a strong family history of stroke and heart conditions in family on both sides so my doctor also referred me to heart clinic aswell as I get tight chest and pains now and again, again when I was there I was in there 5 mins and basically doctor said unless you have heart attack not really any more we can do, though he said I will make an appointment for you to have stress test but you won’t need to see me again. I felt what a waste of time and a car parking ticket, he could of wrote a letter to tell me that 😂.

like you my doctor been great, hospital ok but doctors questioning a lot and I was made to feel like I was making this up, I really started questioning myself and started thinking did I dream it. The TIA clinic at the hospital were really good too I must just say. 

anyway your not alone, I do hope you can find out exactly what yours is as your right it’s scary as hell to go through and you have been through far more than I did, chin up try to stay positive and if you ever want to talk or get it off your chest just message me.

take care beth