Hello everyone,
I am worried sick about our little Taylor having TIAs.  She had her first surgery at Stanford last month on April 7th.  I was told that she shouldn't have weakness but only tingling sensations as her new vessels develop and more blood flows through.

This evening she had a major TIA where she couldn't move her right arm or leg and couldn't talk.  I couldn't sit her up because she was floppy.  The whole episode from start to finish was around 25 minutes.  She's had mild ones in the past where she went numb in the arm or had numbness on one side of her face.  The last time she had that, I was told to have an MRI done to rule out a stroke.  When that came back normal, Teresa mentioned that it could be caused from new blood flow happening in areas where there was none.

I was wondering how many of you out there gets TIAs like the one I discribed even after your surgery/ies?
This was triggered by stress I believe.

Another thing, even before our Taylor was diagnosed with MMD, she had stomach aches all the time that no one could figure out what it was.  I was told by a gastro doctor that it was Recurrent abdominal pains.  That sounds like an "I don't know what it is" answer!  Dr. Steinberg thought her pains would go away, but they havn't.  She lives with stomach pains just about every day and no one seems to know why.  Tonights TIA started with a horrible stomach ache and then she started crying which I believe triggered the TIA.

I guess my questions are:  1.  Who still gets TIAs even after surgery?  2.  Does anyone have stomach pains?

Our Taylor just turned 7 years old this last weekend.

Please help!  I would truly appreciate everyone's feedback.  I sent an email to Teresa asking about Taylor's episode, and also what the protocol is if she ever has a "stroke" and not a TIA.  I wasn't certain what to do while she was going through her TIA, I kept wondering if she was having an actual stroke.  She's been lucky and hasn't had one and I hope she never does.  Does anyone else know what to tell paramedics and doctor's what to avoid because she's an MM patient?

Thank you everyone for being wonderful!!

Love and blessings to everyone!

MaryAnn

MaryAnn,
This response might be too late, and Taylor might not have any problems right now ( I hope).  Claire had frequent TIAs after surgery.  We were flabbergasted because we did not expect her to go throught TIA at the same side that she had done surgery.  Stanford does not have any answer other than doing MRI to rule out stroke.  It is so frustrating that you cannot do anything about it when it happens.  We had her do couple more MRI's every time there was severe TIA.  However, after about a month or two, you will feel as if its frequency is decreasing.  Claire had the first surgery done on 10/25/05 by Dr. Steinberg.  by the beginning of 2006, the TIA's were much less.  Hope this helps.