I am currently undergoing assessment for stroke. I live in a rural…

I had two episodes and presented to the ED where I was told atypical migraine. On the 6th of June I went to bed with a bad headache and woke up in the morning with pins and needles down my right side. Felt dazed and not with it. Continued with fatigue and pins and needles. 8th July felt extremely tired went and laid down and fell asleep for a few hours and woke up with numbness to my mouth and throat, dazed and pins and needles to right side with right arm weakness. I received a referral to a neurologist and on my MRI, which radiologist said no action, the neurologist saw a white mark on my thalamus which could indicate a stroke. I underwent blood tests to rule out stroke mimic of an autoimmune condition and am waiting to see cardiologist to have holter monitor and a bubble echocardiogram. I feel like I've been left floundering without much direction and have stiff and sore right arm, shoulder and neck with pins and needles; headaches; right sided mouth issues with pins and needles and burning feeling when drinking or eating hot food. I am supposed to return to work soon and took unpaid leave to get back on my feet but as this issue has only been for 6 weeks I don't feel ready yet and still have no clear answers as I don't see my neurologist until 19th August. I have just organised my own physiotherapy as when asking my GP she was non committal about undergoing physio. Does this sound like a stroke?

Hi Anne-Louise,

Sorry to hear about your ongoing medical concerns, and rightly so, it is certainly worth advocating for yourself when you are having ongoing symptoms and unclear diagnosis.

We are not medical here on StrokeLine, and as a result, we are unable to diagnose if you have suffered a stroke, but with any symptoms of concern we do advise you to seek medical assessment and advice always.

If you develop any new stroke symptoms, remember the FAST message and call 000 straight away.

We are glad you are under the care of a Neurologist and GP. Neurologists use a combination of clinical evaluations, imaging studies (like MRI and CT scans), and specialized tests to diagnose neurological conditions like stroke, and unfortunately sometimes arriving at a clear diagnosis can take time, which can be frustrating. It is worth noting however that they have already commenced you on secondary stroke prevention strategies, such as being on blood-thinning medication and monitoring your blood pressure.

It is generally wise to seek a clear diagnosis before seeing a physiotherapist and I know that this can be frustrating, A clear diagnosis helps a physiotherapist develop a targeted and effective treatment plan, with specific goals and when the times right, they may be able to give you guidance in future readiness to return to work

Experiencing stress and worry due to an unclear medical diagnosis is also a common and understandable reaction. It's important to try to look after yourself while you are still searching for answers and to seek strategies to help manage this, as stress, worry and anxiety can sometimes exacerbate symptoms. This includes focusing on self-care, building a support system, and developing coping mechanisms like mindfulness and relaxation techniques

Please reach out of we can help you any further at STROKELINE on 1800787653

Regards Strokeline