Living while dealing with the Unknown

I had my first stroke in October of 2014, I was 33 years old at the time. My grandmother who was 91 had passed away the week before from a massive stroke, so the symptoms were in my mind. I was getting ready to go see Beauty and the Beast live play and then my left side went numb, I could still walk around and was “talking” to my husband. Who asked why I was speaking that way, I was telling him it was weird I couldn’t feel my arm and it was just hanging there. So I was aware of what was happening at the moment. I sat down on the couch and waited a few minutes, I grabbed my phone and looked up stroke symptoms just to remind myself. I had exhibited all of them. You have to think FAST, Face, Arms, Speech, and Time.

In the hospital during my first stroke.

So my husband took me to the hospital where I spent the next five days going through many tests to confirm that I had a stroke and find the cause. I was left with no deficits, meaning I regained movement and use of my body and speech. The cause was not found, I followed up with a neurologist, who deemed it a fluke but had me start taking a baby aspirin daily. 

Life went normally until a year later, I had my second stroke in October of 2015. This one happened while we were eating dinner at home. I did not realize this one was happening, my left side was affected again this time. I could not walk this time without help, my face drooped and my speech was affected. My husband drove me to the hospital again. The ER doctors did not initially believe me when I said it was a stroke and tested me for drugs, when they realized it was a stroke they said we should have called 911. So I was admitted to the hospital again, this time for four days. We went through all the same tests and I saw many of the same doctors and support staff as the year before. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, neurologist, cardiologist, and many more. Again it was shown to be a stroke in a similar but different part of my brain after the MRI scan, the cause is still unknown. After this I was put on a big aspirin a day and a cholesterol medicine as prevention. I was very fortunate to have no deficits this time either, unless I am tired then my face droops on one side when I smile. My thinking is also fuzzy for a month or so after a stroke.

Went back to working and living life. April 2017 I had my third stroke. This one I’d had numbness when driving home from work, pulled over and it past. I choose to go home and relax as I had no other symptoms. The next morning when I woke up for work my left leg was dragging instead of “working.” I woke my husband up and we called 911. Arrived at the hospital was admitted quickly and went through all the same tests over the next 4 days. With effort and dedication I regained the use of my leg, my hip still hurts from time to time since then, I have gone to physical therapy which has helped the pain and discomfort. The cause of this like the other strokes was unknown. So they are what are called Cryptogenic Strokes, which according to the American Heart Association are estimated to make up 30% of ischemic strokes.  

After this stroke it came up about having children, and I was told it was not in my best interest to ever become pregnant as pregnancy increases your risk of blood clots. This was a blow I was not expecting, and I had a hard time accepting this during the rest of my hospital stay. I returned home and back to work just as before, but I felt like something was taken away from me. Over the summer I started looking into other options for having children as there are many ways to bring children into one’s life. I was starting to accept that I would never experience being pregnant. 

Time to spill the beans.

But Life has a funny way of throwing you a curveball. August 2017 I realized I could be pregnant, and took a test the day after my missed period. It was a glaring “YES.” I had so many emotions. Excitement and worry were the more prominent initial feelings. I took the dog for a walk early that morning to have time to process the news. I told my husband later that day. He shared my concerns, we planned to set doctors appointments and proceed from there.

Fast forward to now, July 2019. I have a healthy happy toddler. I still want to call him a baby, because he is my baby but each day gains more and more independence. Today I now have new health challenges. I continue to take baby aspirin to prevent future strokes. But have had 2 spinal taps in the last six months and some blood tests to determine if I have MS. All spinal taps have come back normal, I had one last week after having symptoms of a possible MS flair in June. So we will see sometime in August 2019, what the results hold. If normal then my Doctor and I will decide if we should treat for possible prevention or remain status quo for now. For the reason of why medicate if it is not needed. I hope those that read this gain some insight into me, and also if you or someone you know is going through something similar they can relate an know they are not alone.

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I like many have a story to tell. I mean honestly each and every person you meet or see walking by has a story. Some will be sad, some will give you hope, while others remind you of yourself. My story from my experience so far has been different. Sure parts are similar to others, and I have shared experiences with people I know. But overall the last 5 years have included some unique things that make my story a little different. Which is why I feel the need to share, to share awareness and let other people out there that might share a similar experience know they are not alone.

I have had 3 strokes, I am a stroke survivor. Initially thought to be a TIA, but later determined to all be strokes. My first was when I was just 33 years old. The cause unknown. They have all presented differently, but all cause the same aftermath. The unknown causes, and foggy brain. I haven't had a stroke since April of 2017 which is the longest I have gone since my initial stroke. Let's take a moment to take a look back through those experiences.