Restenosis after Carotid Stenting
I had a left-sided stroke in October last year as a result of a 90% blockage to my left carotid artery. My symptoms at the time weren't overwhelming, but I knew that something wasn't quite right and that I needed to be attended to fairly quickly (left-sided facial numbness, loss of speech and right hand/eye movement coordination). I had a stent placed in my carotid artery and was watched for a few days post procedure before coming home to a familiar but different world. I've been recovering from various cognitive issues with most of my problems being associated with short term memory loss, information recall, concentration, fatigue, emotional lability along with some panic and anxiety. I found that after a year whilst these things had improved, I still have some difficulties particularly when I'm tired or anxious As I'm aware of this, I tend not to get too wound up about them otherwise I could probably make things appear a little more challenging than they are. I've had regular Doppler ultrasounds of my carotid arteries and so far have been quite happy with the results. I just received news though that my last Doppler has shown a greater than 80% increase in blockage in the left artery (the one that had been stented). Now I am in the process of waiting for an urgent appointment for a carotid angiogram before further discussion with my Neuro/Radiologist Intervention team as to where we will go from here. I am not good at waiting at the best of times (I'm sure they'll organise things ASAP) but in the meantime, I am feeling a little anxious as the current blockage is almost at the same level as my initial block pre-stroke last year. Generally speaking I seem to be asymptomatic until something actually happens which makes me feel somewhat vulnerable and fragile at the moment. I am aware of the possible procedures available to remove the current blockage (re-stent, endarterectomy, medications, etc.) and must admit I fear the possibility of another stroke whilst undergoing any of these. My family and my husband are all being wonderful as usual, but sometimes being told not to stress about things can be a little annoying given the possible outcomes and previous experiences. I usually take situations on in my head, work through things and look at various options and allow myself to feel any initial fears or nervousness before I get back into "right - let's get on with it mode." Just thought I'd share how I'm feeling at the moment as this is one of those situations that can make you feel fairly isolated when it comes to communicating with loved ones and friends who haven't had these experiences or fears before. I really appreciate this site and am greatly comforted to know that the people here are all familiar with the good stuff and the more challenging things that come with being a stroke survivor. Thanks for listening... Belinda