About time for another blog! I am used to the look of my house, and nod my head in the affirmative when I walk on the carpeting. A job well done.

About me. Long story short, my cardiologist yelled at me at my routine visit. 

I told him had had a small dark spot about the size of a small grain of rice on my ring finger for over a year. I thought it was a small varicosity and I would habitually run my thumbnail over it,  remarking Hmmm? DH had seen it plenty of times; we even tried passing light around it wondering if I'd gotten some object shoved under the skin.

3-4 weeks ago, while I was painting/ladder climbing,  I pinched that finger when I picked up the recycling can and bruised the area. In the same time frame I had headaches, kept losing things and had one day where I had trouble putting college level sentences together. Paint fumes, I claimed. Fatigue from all the work, and it WAS a lot of work. I lost my car keys for two days.

I noticed the dark spot was gone several days later, missing it with my thumbnail. I pondered it for a while then I asked DH to do the 'smile test' with me, explaining how strange it was that the spot was gone.  I passed the test, shrugged my shoulders and went on. THAT'S the part that sent my cardiologist into fits.

Most likely you had a stroke, he said. You should have gone to the ER as soon as you questioned it.

WHAAAAAT????

So far I've no residual issues. My vocabulary is as always, confounding to my DH. The headaches, which were oddly site specific and required multiple jumbo acetaminophen, disappeared after a week. Nothing is weak or numb.

I guess I escaped unscathed, but unnerved. 

He was confident enough that, considering all the medication I'm already on, that my visit to my PC next week was sufficient for a follow up. Next time, call 911, he said. I'm hoping there isn't a next time! Oh, also I'm wearing another week-long heart monitor and will be getting my carotid scan. My average heart rate continues to be under 58 and sometimes when I sleep it is in the low 40's. Yet, I can hop on the treadmill for 30 minutes and do a mile, lift all those weights in the gym and all the other activities I do without feeling any effects. Maybe I'm just the calmest person in the world.



Comments

  1. OneKidsMomAugust 4, 2023 at 9:36 AM

    Or maybe you're a unicorn. Seriously, though, there are enough PSAs out there that our loved ones call us out when we pull a "huh" reaction to something. My "kids" got kind of ticked at me for not mentioning the RSV thing until it was pretty much over. My older sister wasn't going to mention going in for her breast lump biopsy (15 years ago, mind you) until it came back negative (which it did NOT), so that the family would not worry. It's the Strong Woman Syndrome. It cannot be happening to ME!

    And I know darn well that if it had been ME describing this kind of thing to YOU, you'd have given me what-for for not getting it checked out pronto. Yep, that's strong women for you.

    Hope you keep on being calm and carrying on. But next time you start second-guessing... get a professional opinion, 'K?

    ((( hugs )))

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OverworkedjanetAugust 4, 2023 at 12:24 PM

      Yes ma'am! I agree, I don't feel 'stupid', just confidant I can get by any situation by my decisive intellect and amazing strength. Ha ha ha.

      Delete
    2. OneKidsMomAugust 4, 2023 at 12:55 PM

      That's the problem with being "smart". When it's a brain issue, we can't tell!

      Delete
  2. AnonymousAugust 4, 2023 at 6:11 PM

    Good lort lady! Glad you’re okay. -Ace

    ReplyDelete
  3. MorticiaAddamsAugust 5, 2023 at 7:24 AM

    Yikes!! Very scary stuff, GF. Have you had Covid this year? A lot of your symptoms remind me of my post Covid Long Haulers symptoms which didn't happen to me until I seemed to be recovered from the respiratory part. I got the neuro weirdness. So I would not assume that you had a stroke without some real evidence. Covid was the weirdest thing I've ever had and I don't want it ever again. The scariest part was that, for a while, I forgot how to type and use a computer. Was dizzy all the time. Don't recall much of what I did for a while. Hubby finally noticed that something was not right. I did too but carried on until I woke up and decided to learn more about Long Haulers. Better keep in contact with your cardiologist. I think I need a better primary. We are both getting long in the tooth. Hugs and prayers sent for you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ValAugust 8, 2023 at 1:03 PM

      Similar to Tish, I have had distressing "brain fog" type symptoms as sequelae to my Covid infection. I still don't feel as "sharp" as I formerly did, but who's to say how much of that is the ordinary aging process??!!?? Reminds me of my complaints to my endocrinologist over the years about waning energy levels: I can't work as hard as I did when I was 25!
      Well, ARE you 25 anymore?? - ahem, no, of course not - I was 40'ish & then 50'ish

      Delete
  4. BarbAugust 5, 2023 at 2:06 PM

    Morticia's thoughts are mine, too, wondering (thinking you did) have Covid earlier this year. Those symptoms could be related to that, as well. Good that you did discuss it w/your cariologist and will w/your PCP, as well. Tkae good care of yourself!

    hugs
    barb
    1crazydog

    ReplyDelete
  5. OverworkedjanetAugust 5, 2023 at 4:18 PM

    Yes I did have a mild case of Corvid in May. The clincher for the doc was the dark streak I had in my finger that simply disappeared around that day; he thinks was a clot. That was my hunch, too. I'm probably going to get that pacemaker I don't want to get my heart rate up. Not worried, but a lot more informed.

    ReplyDelete

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