Newbie
Hi there,
I would be very grateful for some advice please.
I had my first “episode “ six days ago. I am otherwisea a fit and healthy 69 year old.
My only symptom was sudden confusion which lasted about 6hours. No one sided or facial weakness.
The NHS were fantastic . Ambulance within 10 mins and blue lighted to hospital.
I had an immediate CT scan and was given a large dose of Aspirin. I was sent home after 5 hi hours. The following day I was seen promptly by a Dr in the TIA dept. - prescribed Clopiderol. I was extremely lucky and managed to get an MRI scan due to a cancellation.
I am now waiting for a neck scan. I am the main carer for a 93 year old mother with dementia, and my husband who has liver Cirrhosis. (He nearly died 3 weeks ago following a gastric bleed -varices)
Forgive my long winded introduction.
Mega stresses all round.
Questions:
Will the scans definitely prove or disprove a TIA? or is the diagnosis a subjective one?
-If it’s negative will I be allowed to drive straight away?
I’ve had a really painful burning skin sensation in the right side of my upper chest for a couple of months and OA in my neck. Could this be connected in some way ?
I’m obviously frightened, but hate this waiting game. I need a definitive yes or no. My bloods were all normal.[quote=“MSGAdmin, post:1, topic:27216, full:true”]
Use this space to share your recommendations and ask questions you may have about stroke and related products.
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Sorry your here but there’s lots of advice available, I was similar to you in that I had no obvious sign of a stroke apart from tingling in my leg and arm in fact I drove 300 MLS home from Scotland and didn’t go to hospital for 2 days when the tingling didn’t go away .
Had a CT in hospital which didn’t show anything but consultant was sure it was at least a Tia. If you’ve had a Tia there is no driving for 4 weeks that is a legal matter so don’t do it. My MRI scan showed up a larger stroke and was put on various medication ,the scan on my carotid arteries was all clear . Unfortunately I’ve had little medical help after the initial scans but I’ve now been discharged from the stroke consultant as he says I’m recovered as much as I will be !! It’s not all doom and gloom though I’m ok be positive and become a nuisance at your doctor’s until you get the help you need.
Hi @jenny.c
Welcome to the forum - sorry you had to join. I’m sure others will be along to say welcome and respond to your questions soon .
In the meantime youll find the following useful - I hope that where it says we’re all very stressed after our strokes youll take comfort that while it never goes away gets better
Relation to your specific questions which are very good by the way.
An MRI might be able to prove categorically that you had a stroke - I think and I emphasise that that it’s impossible to prove categorically that you didn’t have a TIA. I also think again emphasised that any neurological suspicion requires a month’s off road
there is specific guidance on the DVLA’s website but I wouldn’t as a layman try and interpret especially with a strokes survivors memory! The specifics of what it said - you could try ringing them ( they have a reputation for taking inordinate amount of time but you could be lucky)
On the second point yes it could be connected. Unfortunately your quest for definitive answers is going to be a source of discomfort. If I can suggest in a way that you are able to accept that living with ambiguity is a post stroke fact of life and that acquiring anxiety management techniques is a very good tool to place in your toolkit then I hope I will have done you a service
Ciao Simon
@Mrs5K / @CommunityAdmin / @CommunityAdmin - maybe a post above and my reply are best moved to their own thread? as the category says it’s for product related recommendations and questions - or maybe just left for now?
@jenny.c just popping by to say hi & welcome to the forum. Sorry you’ve had cause to join us.
The others have already answered your question so I won’t repeat what they’ve said. I really hope you get the answers you’re looking for so you can move forward with the right treatment or knowledge.
Hi @jenny.c welcome to the forum. This must indeed be a very distressing time for you. The last thing you want just now is to be told the truth, because we just can’t believe we’ve had a TIA/stroke. That is truly a shock. But you are ok, the risk of further TIA’s or indeed a stroke have been reduced by the medications you are on.
I had 2 TIA’s nearly 2 years ago and I’ve not had anything since
What you need to remember is that it could have been so much worse. So calm yourself down now as stressing about it is only going to increase the risk. Chances are, it’s all the stress you’ve been under with both your husband and mother’s poor health that has brought this on. And this is your body’s warning that you need to start taking more care of yourself, you are not super woman! You can’t split yourself into 3 without paying the consequence.
The only difference between a TIA and stroke is that blockage that caused it was only temporary, it managed to clear itself. That’s my understanding, but I’m only an expert in my own TIA’s!
The MRI scan you had will tell the doctors a lot more than the CT you had. But TIA’s are not always detectable and it sounds like yours may not be either. Mine weren’t detected but there was doubt what I had as I showed all the symptoms of F.A.S.T.
As for you driving, that is out for the first 6 weeks at least, after a TIA/stroke for obvious reasons. As I said, TIA’s can be the warning sign for a stroke. In saying that, I’m 2yrs post stroke and back behind the wheel with the DVLA’s full blessing
Thank you for taking the trouble to send the message. It pretty much sums up how I was feeling.
I went to see the GP today as my headaches are virtually all the time . I can no longer take my migraine medication so have been advised to buy over the counter 8/500 Co-Codamol. Which in view of the fact that I cannot drive for 4 weeks, can only get 32 at a time! and I live in a village 2 miles from the nearest , is challenging!
An appointment for a 48 hr ECT monitor has turned up so am presuming that that’s normal procedure.
Thank you for your wise words !
What you can do then is phone your surgery, explaining this to them about how difficult it is to get into the village for more. Ask if they can prescribe you a month’s supply. The surgery may be able to send the prescripton direct to your pharmacy for dispensing and have them deliver it to you. Most pharmacies do home delivery of prescription meds now
