What happened?

[annie330]

Hi everyone I would like your thoughts on what happened to me on boxing day.

I feel asleep on sofa on Christmas day night and when I woke up three fingers on left hand where numb. I woke at 6 on boxing day and felt very bad, fingers still numb, I felt like I was moving and spinning around, very dizzy, the strength in my left hand was poor, my mobility was bad and I couldn't stand on left leg, I felt like I had aged about 40 years and was really struggling when standing and trying to walk.

I felt really bad until about 2pm and I did think about going to hospital, I asked my husband to take me but because I got back into bed he thought I didn't want go ( i never want to go but this time I did). He asked me what i wanted to take to hospital and that i should get dressed (was in pjs) but i had no energy and couldn't be bothered to get dressed so got back into bed.

Anyway I did start to feel more normal by late afternoon but yesterday I was wiped out all day. I didn't get out of my pjs or have a wash (yuk) and I went back to bed for 3 hours in the afternoon.

Today I feel more normal but still don't feel great, headache far worse than usual, very tired, and my vision not great.

Would appreciate people's thoughts, I'm thinking that either had a TIA or episode (depending on which of my drs I tell) or am I just deteriorating as I have been suffering the feeling of moving and dizziness on and off for couple of months (it was put down to a new drug verapamil as the dizziness started when I went on this drug, but I haven't taken it now for 5 weeks).

Any thoughts would be helpful.

Louise

[vivdunstan Volunteer]

That sounds like a stroke, albeit a minor one (TIA), but a stroke nevertheless. I say that because you had symptoms strongly down one side of the body. You should have gone to hospital to get checked out. I have lots of TIAs, but if I ever get anything more major like down one side of the body I seek medical help.

[annie330]

Hi yeah that's what I've been thinking too. My husband feels that I'm picking on him as I did say I wanted to go to hospital but I wasn't able to push the point. But he knows I don't like going so when I got back into bed he left me.

[vivdunstan Volunteer]

Oh I can quite understand the getting back into bed thing. I have an incredible number of TIAs. I don't seek medical help unless they seem to be more serious, so more stroke-like, down one side for example, like you had. Normally I just want to crawl back into bed and sleep it off. I usually find that lying down for a couple of hours makes a big difference, and if not sleeping does.

Sometimes though I feel so very very peculiar brain-wise that I'm literally scared to go to sleep in case I don't wake up again. I should probably be seeking medical help at this stage. But ah well! I also know that with a progressive form of cerebral vasculitis I'm going to get these episodes an awful lot (I have done since the 1990s), and there's little the medics can do. Also hospital docs would be a bit puzzled by the rare diagnosis.

It's good you have your hubby there. Me too. Mine is always willing to take me to hospital or wherever else if need be. That helps a lot.

[annie330 in reply to vivdunstan]

Was talking to my husband and said that if what happened had been to someone else then we wouldn't mess about It would be hospital. But think that because we have little do's from time to time we think it will pass and we don't treat it the same way.

What you said about being scared, I haven't wanted to admit this but since last week I have felt like I've been waiting for something to happen and I have been worried when going to bed.

[vivdunstan Volunteer in reply to annie330]

Quick reply: yes I agree with you that if it was anyone else it would be obvious to go to hospital, but we deal with this so much ourselves, we just deal with it ourselves. But if you have another more serious incident - and again losing control down half your body is serious! - do seek medical help next time.

Hope your anxiety passes, but if not do go and talk to your GP. You may need to get extra treatment (for example your treatment for the vasculitis may not be effective enough at the moment). And if anxiety continues that should be treated too.

Luckily this type of terror only happens to me rarely. Usually I'm a happy bunny tucked up in bed with my Kindle. But when it does happen it's scary, and very hard to explain to other people.

[annie330 in reply to vivdunstan]

I'm very comfy on recliner with our family's Christmas pressie (iPad). I don't normally go on computer much but this iPad is great and much easier to use I think it's about the size of a kindle.

Normally I'm like you happy go lucky but since last week just felt so odd, it's like I've been waiting for something bad to happen. Hopefully the feeling will pass now after boxing day's delight!

Am going to put this down now and watch some TV, so have a good night an thank you for talking to me.

Louise

[vivdunstan Volunteer in reply to annie330]

I have an iPad 2, and a Kindle. The iPad is much heavier, and much bigger. I love it, but can't hold it for long. I prop it up on a fluffy puppy mainly! The Kindle is brilliant for reading in bed though, and for when I'm extremely weak.