Aloha Aly,
I read your post and wanted to respond... I was diagnosed in 2005 and had an emergency double by-pass and EDAS on my right side at the Wake Medical Center in North Carolina by a MM expert, Dr. Takanori Fukushima. Up until a couple days before my surgery, I too was misdiagnosed/or not diagnosed until a local neurosurgeon and personal friend of Dr. Fukushima went to the hospital to look at my films. ;
Anyway, prior to surgery, my TIA's progressed--from numbness in a portion of my lip, to my finger, to my top and bottom lip, then half of the left side of my face. Thank God, since my surgery I haven't experienced any TIA's.
As Mar stated, many have shared situations of when/why they feel they had a TIA; however, I would recommend that in order to be on the safe side, I would get checked out. I understand that this may not be the "right time", but truly, there is never a "right time" for illness. The American Heart (americanheart.org) says that
Quote:A TIA is a "warning stroke" or "mini-stroke"....
They go on to say
Quote:..."Recognizing and treating TIAs can reduce your risk of a major stroke."
(see below)
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4781
What is a TIA or transient ischemic attack?
A TIA is a "warning stroke" or "mini-stroke" that produces stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage. Recognizing and treating TIAs can reduce your risk of a major stroke.
Most strokes aren't preceded by TIAs. However, of the people who've had one or more TIAs, more than a third will later have a stroke. In fact, a person who's had one or more TIAs is more likely to have a stroke than someone of the same age and sex who hasn't.
TIAs are important in predicting if a stroke will occur rather than when one will happen. They can occur days, weeks or even months before a major stroke. In about half the cases, the stroke occurs within one year of the TIA.
What causes a transient ischemic attack?
TIAs occur when a blood clot temporarily clogs an artery, and part of the brain doesn't get the blood it needs. The symptoms occur rapidly and last a relatively short time. Most TIAs last less than five minutes. The average is about a minute. Unlike stroke, when a TIA is over, there's no injury to the brain.
What are the symptoms of a TIA?
It's very important to recognize the warning signs of a TIA or stroke. The usual TIA symptoms are the same as those of stroke, only temporary:
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
The short duration of these symptoms and lack of permanent brain injury is the main difference between TIA and stroke.
TIAs are extremely important predictors of stroke. Don't ignore them!
Additional information from the National Stroke Association
http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=TIA
What is TIA?
TIA means:
T = Take
I = Immediate
A = Action
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is an event, sometimes called a mini-stroke, or stroke symptoms that always last less than 24 hours before disappearing. While TIAs generally do not cause permanent brain damage, they are a serious warning sign of stroke and should not be ignored!
More than one-third of all people who have experienced a TIA will go on to have an actual stroke. In fact:
5% of people will have a stroke within two days of their TIA
11 % of people will have a stroke within 90 days of their TIA
14 % of people will have a stroke within one year of their TIA
20 % of people will have a stroke within 2 years of their TIA
I know you are a very intelligent woman, and thank God you have never experienced any deficit resulting from a stroke-- My opinion, again, would be to make an appointment and speak to your medical team about conucting follow-up tests. I'm not sure when your last MRI/MRA or perfusion, etc. tests were done, but if none were done recently, it wouldn't hurt. Someone also mentioned follow-up appointments, and I definitely have to agree with keeping those too.
Take care,
Shan
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TIA post surgery: 6 YEARS POST surgery! (Read 4924 times)
