MetaChat - Today I had a stroke

MetaChat is an informal place for MeFites to touch base and post, discuss and chatter about topics that may not belong on MetaFilter. Questions? Check the FAQ. Please note: This is important.

01 November 2010

Today I had a stroke →[More:] Or more accurately, last morning when I woke up, I had a stroke. A mini-stroke, obviously. I am in possession of my faculties and the weakness and dizziness on my left side has faded. They kept me in the hospital but wouldn't drug me to sleep, so I am wandering the halls of the neurology ward looking for stuff to do (they unplugged me from monitors for the night, thank jebus). So I decided to get on the family room computer!
I guess the big deal is to figure out WHY I had a stroke. I am 38 years old. I have had an ischemic problem in my brain before, and I think the doctors think that I have a blood clotting problem, as opposed to a straight-up neurological problem per se.
Send me good vibes, metachatters. I am bored and sleepy and not just a teensy bit scared.

post by: msali at: 23:26 | 61 comments

So sorry to hear it. Good vibes coming your way, msali!

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 01 November | 23:27

Oh my goodness! Sending good thoughts your way!

posted by typewriter 01 November | 23:31

Oh msali how scary! I hope you find out why and can tackle it soon.

posted by gomichild 01 November | 23:40

Oh holy fuck! Good vibes coming your way!!!

posted by treepour 01 November | 23:49

Oh no! (((msali))) Thinking of you!

posted by halonine 01 November | 23:55

Oh my! How frightening, msali, but you certainly seem remarkably calm and together. I am hurling good thoughts your way with both hands!

posted by Elsa 02 November | 00:05

Healing thoughts winging their way to you, (((msali))).

posted by deborah 02 November | 00:26

Sending you good thoughts.

posted by arse_hat 02 November | 00:27

Oh, geez. Best wishes for a speedy hospital-leaving and entle vibes for your head.

posted by Madamina 02 November | 00:29

GENTLE. GENTLE!!!

posted by Madamina 02 November | 00:29

Somewhere, far across the ocean, somebody is entering his good lair. Years of contemplation, living as a hermit, riding bikes and being born with a powerful forehead has given him stupendous mental vibe powers.
In his good layer he turns the knobs. The great concrete cupola starts to move slowly, the motors grinding.
Suddenly the cupola stops; it's directed straight at you!
He gets behind the focal point of the benevolent contraption and starts to concentrate....

A powerful ray of good vibes is trained at you from faraway in the Netherlands.
(so if you suddenly have a craving for cheese you know what's going on)

posted by jouke 02 November | 00:39

Definitely sending every good thought your way! ((msali))

posted by Sil 02 November | 00:51

*sends healing thoughts*

posted by brujita 02 November | 01:05

layer -> lair

posted by jouke 02 November | 02:00

Yikes! Good vibes now emanating from our corner of the world, bathing msali in their healing vapors. OK, maybe not healing vapors. But they are minty-fresh and slightly redolent of sleeping cat, which is the most soothing smell of all.

posted by BitterOldPunk 02 November | 02:07

Oh wow, I am so sorry to hear this. Take good care of yourself.

posted by Senyar 02 November | 02:23

Oh no. Best of luck, hope you have a speedy recovery.

posted by TheophileEscargot 02 November | 02:52

I am more terrified of something like this happening to me than any number of spiders. You get all my best wishes, and a few hugs thrown in to boot. Keep a chin up, my friend.

posted by pjern 02 November | 04:18

{msali}

posted by dg 02 November | 04:27

At least you're in a great area for health care.
This has been one of my biggest health fears, too.

posted by D.C. 02 November | 05:03

OMG. Let me know what I can do to help. I'll be in your neck of the woods tonight and could stop by to keep you company after dinner, and I'll also be over in that area on Friday. Shall I text you? Do you get phone reception? Are you at the university hospital?

((((((msali))))))

posted by Stewriffic 02 November | 05:03

Wishing you a speedy recovery and a return to good health .. hugs and love from the Midwest (((((((msali)))))

posted by Kangaroo 02 November | 05:26

Wow, you poor thing! I am hoping all the best for you!

posted by JanetLand 02 November | 05:38

Good grief, so sorry to hear that, msali! Hang in there, and get better ASAP. *hug*

posted by BoringPostcards 02 November | 05:48

Lots of hugs and good thoughts coming from my corner. Please continue to keep us updated.

posted by TrishaLynn 02 November | 05:55

Wishing you all the best, msali.

posted by goshling 02 November | 06:09

Scary! Sending good vibes!

posted by Obscure Reference 02 November | 06:23

Whew! Finally have my computer. The husband showed up with it a little while ago. Now he's happily tapping away at his and I am on mine. UNC guest wifi is hella fast. Big ups for that.
Thanks everyone for all your good wishes. I didn't sleep at all last night, and refreshing my phone and seeing your posts made me smile. (I'm looking at you, Jouke!)
Still haven't seen the doctors this morning, but I cannot imagine why they wouldn't release me today. I didn't suffer any damage that is going to require any OT or PT. I just need to have lots of additional testing done, which I will happily do outpatient. I live just ten minutes away from the hospital, so I can't see why they wouldn't let me go.
The bitch of this is, I was SUPPOSED to be leaving tomorrow for a month in Brazil. I am heartbroken that I can't go right now. I don't know if I am going to have to postpone my trip for a few days or a few weeks. It feels so unfair - I haven't been to Brazil for a year and I am nearly crazed to get home for awhile. The timing of this just bites. But I guess I would rather be in a hospital here than in Brazil. (Not knocking Brazilian hospitals, some of which are top flight, I just don't want to spend my precious time there holed up in a hospital bed).
Thanks for all the good thoughts y'all. I'll update later when I know some more.

posted by msali 02 November | 06:29

Holy CRAP! Thinking of you big time. Be well.

posted by rainbaby 02 November | 07:41

Scary! But glad you caught it so fast. Hope you can rearrange your travel plans soon.

posted by Miko 02 November | 07:54

As a German translator friend always says to people when they're ill: "good bettering!".

I don't know the Portuguese for "get well soon" so I'll say it in English. Hope this doesn't happen again.

posted by altolinguistic 02 November | 08:23

sorry to hear that, msali. I'm thinking of you from here. And that's a huge bummer about Brazil. Keep us posted about how you're doing, k?

posted by gaspode 02 November | 08:25

Yikes! I'm so relieved to hear that it sounds like a minor one, and that you are feeling better already. MAN. Best thoughts of healing and diagnostic success in the coming weeks, coming your way now :-)

posted by richat 02 November | 08:48

Oh hell. So sorry to hear this news. Feel better soon!

posted by toastedbeagle 02 November | 09:16

Hugs & best wishes coming down the Piedmont from the mountains to you! Scary stuff; glad you are doing okay.

posted by mygothlaundry 02 November | 09:17

Big hugs, feel better! No more strokes!

posted by Hugh Janus 02 November | 09:19

First of all. . .get well. Your dog needs you.

When I had surgery last fall, we asked about wifi, and they told my wife that if she sat near the window of the waiting room, she would be able to pick up the wifi of the donut shop across the street. I am not making this up.

posted by danf 02 November | 09:23

Feel better; to quote the Skipper, and that's an order!!!

posted by Melismata 02 November | 09:41

Goodness, you are just one year older than I am. Who expects to have a stroke at this age!

I'm so glad that it was so very mild, that you're getting good medical care, that your husband is there for you, and all that.

Brazil isn't going to walk off into the night. It sucks to have to postpone your visit, but you'll be able to go later.

posted by Orange Swan 02 November | 10:19

Yikes. Hope you're all well soon.

posted by galadriel 02 November | 10:35

"good bettering!"
Yeah, the German prase gute Besserung. We tend to say beterschap (bettership).
Or, a wish for which I couldn't find an equivalent in English; sterkte. (strength)
I wish you strength in this trying time.

posted by jouke 02 November | 11:20

Thanks for all the good thoughts y'all. I'll update later when I know some more.

Please do --- we'll be thinking of you!

posted by Elsa 02 November | 11:25

many many good thoughts!

posted by casarkos 02 November | 12:13

Sending good vibes from Maine. and hugs.

posted by theora55 02 November | 12:20

This is one of those things where, well...

Some will say you're lucky to have had a minor stroke at such a young age. You know what to look out for. And it's not like a fatal stroke came and felled you out of the blue.

Still, it's a scary thing. I hope you can find something positive in this. Treasure your loved ones, life, nature, and the time you have left with all of the above.

Good health to you.

posted by Eideteker 02 November | 12:37

Sorry to hear this.

posted by amro 02 November | 12:38

Not that you're looking for entertainment reading right this second, but I just finished an amazing book called My Stroke of Insight. The author was a brain research scientist working at the Harvard brain labs when she had a major stroke at about age 36 (I think). As a brain scientist, she recognized what was happening to her as it was happening - and it was a severe stroke. She was able to kind of keep track of which areas of her brain were impacted one by one. In the end, she was able to recover completely from her stroke, but she had an experience of stroke that gave her some interesting insights into brain function. A great book ...I'm not sure if you're the type who obsessively reads about whatever you're going through, or assiduously avoids doing so, but whenever you're interested in reading this book, I think you'll like it.

posted by Miko 02 November | 13:53

msali, my dog and I are both staring in your direction, sending you EXCELLENT VIBES. I'm not sure how good I am at this, but no one can deny the healing intensity of my dog's gaze.

And fingers are crossed you get (healthily) to Brazil soon.

posted by bearwife 02 November | 15:22

Welcome to the club. I also had a stroke at 38. It was shortly after my first heart bypass. The silver lining is you will enjoy the good things of life so much more.

posted by Ardiril 02 November | 15:26

damn! sending good vibes and hoping you get well soon

posted by Firas 02 November | 15:34

Just saw this. So scary. Let us know what happens and what you find out.

posted by ethylene 02 November | 15:46

Late with concern & get well wishes, msali. I hope things have improved greatly & they released you! Brazil can wait until you're up for it. Watching for updates at this end!

posted by chewatadistance 02 November | 15:49

Also just saw this; best wishes and hope your recovery is quick and complete.

posted by faineant 02 November | 18:14

Hope you're on the mend soon, and can get to Brazil without too much delay.

posted by JoanArkham 02 November | 18:33

Sending you best wishes and good thoughts.

posted by Twiggy 02 November | 21:01

Update from strokeland!

Sorry I didn't update sooner. As soon as they sprung me, I basically went home and went to sleep, and I haven't opened my computer since.

The VERY GOOD NEWS is that whatever knocked me over on Monday is not enough to keep me from going to Brazil today!!!! I am thrilled about that. The doctors wouldn't have been so agreeable if I were off to hike the Andes, but because I am going to stay in a rather posh suburb of the most sophisticated (medically) city in South America, they were more amenable.
I leave tonight, armed with a whole set of new medications, and I can get my levels tested there. As soon as I get back after Thanksgiving, I will become a regular of the local neurology outpatient clinic. I promise.

Thank you all so much for your positive words and good vibes, and offers to visit (thanks Stew!).
I love you all, that's why I turned here that night. Email me privately if you're curious about what the hell the doctors think is wrong with me. I'm not quite ready to start speculating openly about that.

Love to you all.

posted by msali 03 November | 10:48

PS to Miko - My Stroke of Insight is already on my list. The nurses at the neuro hospital told me about it.

posted by msali 03 November | 10:50

Oh, that's really cool about Brazil. Glad you'd heard about the book - it's interesting! I hope you figure things out and it turns out to be a small deal. Have a great trip!

posted by Miko 03 November | 11:02

Well, that's good news! Glad you're well enough to travel --- that seems like a good indication!

posted by Elsa 03 November | 11:36

Oh, I'm so so glad. I've been thinking about you like crazy. Glad to know you're well enough to travel!

posted by Stewriffic 03 November | 13:55

I'm sooo glad you're able to travel! Bon Voyage!

posted by deborah 03 November | 19:29

← Who'd have thought... || Fighting Haddie →

HOME || REGISTER || LOGIN