Coming through a stroke
Stroke
Hi everyone, just to introduce myself …I had Covid in March, went after 3 days so not bad at all …I then started with incredibly bad headaches (worse than migraines I had for years) doc tried various painkillers, then settled on high dosage of aspirin …in 52 days I had 24 days with these migraines until they stopped …then in May I had what I knew could be symptoms of stroke. Left hand a bit numb, same as lip, and speaking just sounded rubbish… over in 15 minutes and back to normal …sent for ambulance and taken to A&E emergency at Sunderland hospital where I waited in a small waiting room for 6 hours without seeing a doctor ! or anyone else…finally I said I needed to see a doctor or I would just leave … a doctor then came finally …said probably a TIA …take a 300mg aspirin every morning and sent home …two days later I had another, same as before, but back to hospital via ambulance …at least this time they took bloods, blood pressure and ECG … again left in small room on my own, no doctor, and actually had another TIA in there… nurse was called down from the stroke unit and said yes, TIAs they would arrange CT scan and send me appointments … still not kept in , went home …few days later my husband actually had a stroke (we like to do things together !!) same for him except only symptom was he was just talking gobbledegook, neither of us having and “drooping” eyes, mouth etc …weakness in arms or legs …ambulance off to hospital, he was left in a small room with our son who luckily had gone with him, for almost 7 hours and he is also diabetic and at one point my son went and found a nurse and said he looked like he would hypo if he didn’t get something …and again, finally sent home with daily aspirin …and told a stroke not kept in …
I had couple more TIAs which were over again in 15 mins. Both of us had CT scans and mine showed a small bleed. Consultant phoned me and said not to worry but found me a bed in a ward as they wanted to arrange a MRI as there was another very small bleed … transferred through to RVI Newcastle for couple days then MRI which had to be full anaesthetic (I have couple problems and have to be knocked out fully) at least there I got to see a neurosurgeon who came and explained everything …there are no aneurisms, bleeds will dry up anyway, lots of big words I don’t understand I won’t bore you with , but one was something like sub arachnid haemorrhage ??? Husband only had that one day of "gobbledygook " , nothing else and feels great, and I had a couple more incidences, but now only numb feeling in couple fingers … but it is frightening to get these stroke like things and not able to get a face to face meeting with a consultant to answer all the questions we need answering…
Soooooooooo sorry this is soo long … Val
@Valbee, thanks for sharing your story and sorry to hear you almost had as many TIAs as me before I had the major stroke. Welcome to our forum. I think multiple TIAs make recovery harder, it’s multi-focal, so lots of things to recalibrate. I am bit shocked that the doc assumed you had a clot and administered aspirin. As aspirin is an anti-platelet and encourages bleeding which in the end you had.
Rups How’s your ‘How to Survive a Stroke ‘ book coming along ? Or was it the ‘A-Z Stroke book ? Not joking it’s your ‘Calling !’
I tend to write to escape reality! Maybe one day when I’m distanced enough from it all or perhaps use the whole debacle as grist for the mill in a fictional book. 
@Valbee Hi Val, welcome to the forum. Sounds like you & your husband have been through the mill a bit. I’m shocked by how you’ve been treated. I would have thought multiple TIAs would have warranted at least a short stay in hospital. I really hope you get some appointments with the right people very soon. In the meantime take it easy & look.after yourselves.
Use the forum to ask any questions you have. Most of us aren’t medically trained but we have experienced TIAs/Strokes first hand.
Best wishes to you & hubby x
Hi @Valbee - sorry to hear your news but like others on this site, there will always be a welcome for you and your husband, and I’m sure someone will have an answer to any questions you have. Take care, Bert
Hi Rups, thanks for your reply …the doctor recommended aspirin for the migraines, and that is one of the recommended options …however, he let these migraines go on far to long and I was told by the neurosurgeon at the RVI that he should have sent me for a CT scan when I first had the very bad headache … sadly he didn’t …but no one has been able to tell me if the head pains were the bleed starting or not … now, of course I mustn’t take anything with aspirin in or any blood thinners … I did have a CT scan 3 Saturdays ago, but no results yet as apparently they are very busy getting results through up here in my area … so just taking it very easy, trying to keep cool and calm …but I will phone the secretary of the consultant who ordered this scan, and ask if results are through and if not I want to speak to him, whoever he is … would be nice to have actually seen a doctor , but both of us discharged …I did contact the Stroke Association in our area who have been more help … just soo worrying. There must be things we shouldn’t be doing after these strokes however mild they were, but especially with brain bleeds …apart from that, and just feeling tired, we are perfectly ok and I guess very lucky when I see how strokes affect lots of people. …especially as we are in our mid/late 70s … but just cannot handle this current heatwave …
Thanks for your reply …only medication as such was to keep my blood pressure down, so as I was already on low dosage of propranolol (10mgs three times a day) as I have irregular heartbeat now and again, they upped it to 80mgs tablet once a day … I have been keeping a chart of my own BP readings and they were usually around 120 to 128 …highest was 132 after running up the stairs and down as I wanted to know what it would do … so guess the extra beta blocker is working fine …
Valbee, I am shocked at treatment, or lack of it, that you and your received. It must be very scary being left to your own devices. I hope there no further episodes to alarm either of you. Moira
Thank you for reply …sadly Sunderland hospital is well known for being useless … but sitting in a waiting room, with suspected stroke, for usually around 6 hours is ridiculous …the stroke clinic person who came out to organise grab rails in bath and on steps etc, said if we need an ambulance again, to tell them to take us to Durham hospital where we would be seen straight away in their stroke unit … such is the NHS today
Hi Ismeval, I hope all going well with you. You have been given good advice on how avoid ending up in Sunderland, but it sad to think it is necessary. Moira