Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeltym
I'm a 32 year old male, who eats very healthy and works out 6 days a week. Had got dizzy and threw up and went to the doctor who did a CAT scan, MRI, MRA and found that i had a stroke. Ran extensive tests but could not find any reason for it to have occurred. The 5 doctors that have been assigned to me have all said they could not have any reason for it and are stumped. Trying to see a intravascular doctor now. They have ran every blood test (clotting, lipids, proteins, thickness, etc...) and found nothing; have checked my heart and found no blockage or clots (anywhere in the body for that matter). My diagnosis from one of the neurologists is that I'm unlucky... and that is not sitting well with me. If anyone can help or had the same experience, please any help will be very appreciated.
|
I know exactly what you're going through. I had a stroke at age 10 that was diagnosed at Mott's Children's Hospital U of M. Some of the tests you had performed didn't exist back then, as I'm 39 now. But we had the same outcome of baffled doctors because they couldn't find the cause. Although I had completely different symptoms then you described. My stroke was in my left temporal lobe. I lost speech ability and was paralyzed on my right side for roughly 12-15 hours. You didn't say what area of your brain the stroke occurred in so this may be why we had different symptoms.
I felt compelled to reply to you because your story was so similiar to my own. My current doctor sent me for an Echocardiogram Bubble Study and this little test showed I had a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO). Which is basically a hole in the upper chambers of the heart allowing some blood to shunt accross through the hole before going through the proper route to be filtered, oxygenated, & so on. With this blood shunting accross the top chambers it's more than possible for a small blood clot to travel accross just as easily and cause a stroke. My general practitioner & cardiologist both believe that this is what caused my stroke.
A PFO won't show up with regular angioplasty & cardiovascular tests. A year before the PFO was discovered. I had regular angioplasty w/no stent placement, a regular echocardiogram, stress test, and a myriad of other cardiovascular tests that showed my heart was normal. I switched doctors & within 2 weeks they found the PFO. I had the PFO closed in July of this year. The closure procedure was basically the same as having angioplasty with a little more risk as the doctors have to actually touch your heart during the procedure. I went in Friday morning & was home late saturday afternoon.
There are a few tests that will detect the presence of a PFO. The echocardiogram bubble study used to detect mine is painless and pretty quick. They put an IV starter in; do a regular echocardiogram to get a base line; then the cardiolist basically pumps micro-bubbles into your blood stream while a second echocardiogram is being performed; has you cough at a certain points; the IV comes out & your done. I've had the test 3 times so far. I'll admit the micro-bubble stuff had me a bit freaked out, but you don't feel a thing. There's another test called an Transesophagel echocardiogram in which they go down your throat and scan from inside. That was to be my next test, thank god the bubble study was enough.
I would ask your doctors for the echocardiogram bubble study.
Oh and I would also start light physical therapy now. I didn't have any physical therapy after my stroke, and I'm in physical therapy and am paying for it now (just a heads up).
Hope everything works out for you ~ Sherri
Linear Mode
