TIA, The Mini Stroke and My Freak Pupil

In one of my comments on my putting it all out there post, there was a mention of stroke.  This got me thinking about the TIA otherwise known as mini stroke that I had back in 2006.  I know a lot of people have no idea what it is, so I’m going to tell you about it.

I was pregnant with Emma, very pregnant.  I had Morgan and Lauren with me doing some shopping at Walmart.  Suddenly my vision went…sort of like when you have looked at the sun…everything blurred, you can only make out some shapes and differences in light and dark.  I couldn’t see.  I tried to stay calm since I had the girls with me.

Next thing that happened was the right side of my body began to tingle and go numb.  This was even things like my tongue!

I called the J-Man and he came and got us and rushed me to the ER where they admitted me immediately.  They told me I had a transient ischemic attack.  I was told that a TIA does not cause permanent damage to the brain.  But a TIA can be a precursor to a “real” stroke.  It’s strange because one of my cousins had a TIA while pregnant as well.

Here are the symptoms of a TIA as well as a Stroke:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

There are many different things that can cause a TIA, I am guessing that it happened to me due to my blood pressure being pregnant.  TIA is a medical emergency. Call 911 or other local emergency number immediately. Do not ignore the symptoms just because they go away. They may be a warning of a future stroke.

So anyhow, on with my wacky thought pattern. Her mentioning the stroke got me thinking about the TIA, which got me thinking about the right side of my body where the majority of my physical issues are, which eventually got me thinking about my right eye. Yes, I’ve got a weird thought process…this is how my brain works people!

Anyhow…my right eye.  A few months back I went in for an eye exam so I could get my AirWear lenses.  At the exam the eye doctor mentioned my right pupil being enlarged.

She wanted to dialate, but I didn’t have anyone to drive me home and I know from my past experiences…I can not drive for hours after being dialated.  She said she wouldn’t worry right now, that it sometimes can be caused by allergies, but other times can be other things including a tumor behind the eye.

Well, the pupil is still enlarged months later.  So, thanks to the comment that was left, I called the eye doctor yesterday and told her the newest symptoms I am experiencing.  She said she definitely needs to check it out with all of these new symptoms.  I will be going in on Wednesday of next week to find out.  Maybe it will be an answer or atleast rule one thing out.

I hope atleast sharing my TIA story will help others be informed, especially pregnant women!  I was scared to death when it happened.  I thought I was having a Stroke, which I sort of was.  I just didn’t know there were different kinds of strokes.

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Girl on Fire

Photographer at Loudmouth Photography

Brandy is the wife to a carpenter/musician and the mother of 3 amazingly awesome homeschool/unschooled girls. Brandy is a Photographer as well as a Coach for the Weebellion as part of Rolling Rebellion Jr. Roller Derby. Brandy is passionate about many things and suffers from a very painful and degenerative neurological disease called CRPS/RSD.

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