Re: So, I had a stroke....and not the smoking kindUpdate
Ok a quick update for anyone who might be interested, I think I am pretty much recovered from my stroke apart from the anxiety of maybe having another one. I have had a few different tests, none of which found anything until I had a bubble echocardiogram.
From what I understand when we are born we have a flap which is between the right and left chambers of the heart. As we grow this flap seals shut. However on about 20% of people it doesn't, including myself.
Anyway when they do the test they have two syringes attached to your arm which they fill with a solution and then agitate it back and forth to form bubbles. They then get you to strain like when you go to the toilet,this has the effect of forcing the bubbles from one side of the heart to the other if there is a issue with the flap. Needless to say when they did mine I could see many bubbles on the ultrasound going from one side to the other.
At first I was elated to have found a possible cause for my stroke. It is possible a clot managed to enter my heart and from there up to my brain. This quickly turned to fear and depression.
Doctors are saying to keep taking the blood thinners and maybe have a operation to close the hole if I have another stroke.... excuse me, wait until I have another one?! F**k off,next time I might not be so lucky with my outcome. The operation is non invasive and quite routine these days apparently, so I am feeling give me the damn thing now! Am I being unreasonable? So a bit of a fight ahead of me.
Other symptoms of POF as it is known is the lowering of blood oxygen levels as not all the blood goes via the lungs. This causes fatigue and general unwellness. Sounds a bit familiar to me... not felt myself for a couple of years. Could this be the cause of it...?
Anyway I hope you don't mind me dribbling on,just helps to write it down somewhere.