A big scare

MikeA57 · Dec 8, 2012

My wife came home Thursday eveninig and said she had tried to open a jar with a stuck lid and when she cranked down on it a white hot pain shot out from her fingers all mthe way up her arm. She said it hurt so bad it took her to her knees. The rest of the afternoon she had no motor control of her left hand (her dominant one) She was tired all evening and we actually went to bed earlier than usual. When she got up yesterday she still didn't have any energy and looked pale. She is the director of the breakfast with Santa benefit that is happening today (Saturday) and I told her that if she needed to go to the doctorn then GO! She didn't need to be sick for that event. She still couldn't grasp anything with her left hhand which was another concern but we felt that she had tweaked a tendon in her hand.

5 minutes after I left for work she called me and asked me to take her to the doctor. I immediately turned round and took her to our family medical office and when they took her blood pressure it was 250/140!!! They immediately called for an ambulance and they transported her to the hospital. Yesterday evening we found out that she had suffered a TIA stroke, a reversible one that won't have any lasting effects fortunately other than diet and lifestyle changes (I.e. execrcise)

She's lucky. She'll be OK when she turns 50 next Saturday and this was a wake up call for her. Take care of yourselves folks. It's important...

EE_Bota · Dec 8, 2012

I'm really glad that you got her to the doctor, and that it is reversible. I hope her benefit is a success and that she doesn't worry too much about that event. I wish her and you the best.

DutchHenryBrown · Dec 8, 2012

REALLY glad that the wife is OK.:thumbsup:

biker4jc · Dec 8, 2012

Glad your wife's ok ....... Thanks for sharing. It should be a wake up call for lots, but most will ignore it.

RoyJackson · Dec 8, 2012

Glad your wife will be OK!!

RandyBell · Dec 8, 2012

Same here, Glad she will be alright.:cool2:

Bird · Dec 8, 2012

Wow! That really would be a big scare. Hope all goes well for her.

tractchores · Dec 8, 2012

Scary. Good thing you got to the doctor and glad to hear its reversable.

RobertBrown · Dec 8, 2012

Wow that was close. Blood pressure that high is an emergency, time sensitive.
Good thing she is going to be alright.
Could be a blessing in disguise if she can make the changes and gets to feeling better.

creekbend · Dec 8, 2012

I'm sincerely glad that the outcome will have positive results. Best wishes to your Wife.

texasjohn · Dec 8, 2012

Glad all is improving...yep, gotta visit doctor regularly.
Some people ridicule people who visit a doctor "for any little thing."
Hard to know when a "little thing" is actually a big thing.

Perhaps, because of modern technology, we should all have a glucose monitor, a blood pressure monitor, and a vision chart on the refrigerator.
We do.

cqaigy2 · Dec 8, 2012

Oh man what a scare! Glad you guys took it seriously and went to the doc.

jimmyj · Dec 9, 2012

Yikes. Thanks for sharing, this is a lesson for all of us. Glad she is doing OK and that you went to the doctor!

MikeA57 · Dec 10, 2012

UPDATE: She had a good day till towards the evening then she was still having problems getting her BP to straighten up and act right again. She's still in ICU and will be until they get it under control. I want to know what they underlying cause is. Several members of her birth family (she's adopted and the birth family came into the picture several yrs ago) have extremely high BP just like this. But it doesn't just "happen". There has to be something causing it...

srs · Dec 10, 2012

MikeA57 said:
UPDATE: She had a good day till towards the evening then she was still having problems getting her BP to straighten up and act right again. She's still in ICU and will be until they get it under control. I want to know what they underlying cause is. Several members of her birth family (she's adopted and the birth family came into the picture several yrs ago) have extremely high BP just like this. But it doesn't just "happen". There has to be something causing it...

Mike, thanks for the update and keeping you guys in our prayers. Stanley

dusty3030 · Dec 10, 2012

God bless for her recovery and prayers sent!

EE_Bota · Dec 10, 2012

MikeA57 said:
UPDATE: She had a good day till towards the evening then she was still having problems getting her BP to straighten up and act right again. She's still in ICU and will be until they get it under control. I want to know what they underlying cause is. Several members of her birth family (she's adopted and the birth family came into the picture several yrs ago) have extremely high BP just like this. But it doesn't just "happen". There has to be something causing it...

The doctors will answer your questions as best they can. I think there can be many causes. I think (but I'm not sure) that their are important pressure sensors in the carotid arteries, and I hear that more and more, doctors are starting to do ultrasound on the carotids to see if they can anticipate stroke likelihood. But don't take what I have said too seriously...I'm not making it up, but I could be wrong/clueless.

I do know of one person who had a stroke, and the plaque in his carotids was later surgically removed, and his blood pressure quickly returned to normal whereas before it was way too high. Please consider that completely anecdotal, since it truly is...he told me that story while I was follow his care/condition since he is a good friend and former coworker.

RoyJackson · Dec 10, 2012

As some of you know, I had a stroke about 12 years ago.
No pain, just a tingle and loss of function. I was paralyzed on most of my right side for a while, but regained most mobility in a few weeks. Still got a bad limp though and my right hand doesn't work so good (especially in cold weather...muscles cramp).
My arteries (including cartoids) were clear and BP wasn't that high. The stroke was caused by a 0.25mm (.010") blockage in the left side of my brain.

A lot of things can cause a stroke...hypertension being a leading cause.

Hopefully, Mike's wife will have a full recovery. But I'm sure she'll be on BP meds and an aspirin a day regimen for the rest of her life.

hawkeye08 · Dec 10, 2012

Praying that they find what is causing the high BP...

MikeA57 · Dec 15, 2012

UPDATE:
Last night she finally got home. Today she turns 50! She's doing very well, still moving slowly and dragging the left foot somewhat but she woke up this morning walking better than she did yesterday. She's also got more mobility in her hand. My Mom and step father drove in from Lousville, KY, and her brother and his family came in also from Huntsville. So she's having a pretty good birthday. ONWARD AND UPWARD!!!

Thanks to all for all the prayers, well wishes and thoughts!!

Mike