*This was written almost 2 months ago*
About 3 weeks ago, I had some pain in my right leg. It was only painful when it touched other things. Then I had a localized spot of it, and got scared, thinking it was a blood clot. An ultrasound revealed that it was not a blood clot, and blood tests were done- which also revealed that I don't have a high risk of blood clots.
Almost a week passes, and I start getting an aura (known in the migraine world of seeing something in the eye). I had it happen for the first time in early January, so I kind of thought I knew what was coming next. See, when it happened in January, I could see things, but they were out of focus in the center, more in focus out of center. This happened first, and then I got a headache. So I started pushing through it.
However, that Thursday was different than in January. I did end up getting a headache, but my left hand went numb, I slurred my words, and I had trouble comprehending things. I didn't register too much concern, because I was not in a clear mind. The symptoms subsided, all but the headache and the nausea that went with it. I ended up leaving school and calling my Doctor's office. They suggested I go to the E.R. Again, I didn't think much of it, and went home. Not to the E.R. C came home for lunch, and when I began telling him my symptoms, he began to get worried. Moreso after I shared about the slurred speech, numbness in my hand, and having trouble comprehending things. I will never forget how his eyes almost popped out of his head. With his urging, I went to the E.R. There, they did an MRI, and determined it was not a stroke, just an awful migraine. They sent me straight to a neurologist. She was concerned that it was Bell's palsy, or a mini stroke, because the right side of my face looked different than the left side of my face.
The next day, things were alright. I had a burning sensation in my head all day, and every so often, I felt a little numbness in my left hand. That evening, my entire left hand did go numb. So I went back to the E.R. During the few minutes it took to get to the E.R., I was praying, shaking my hand, trying to make it stop. I knew even then that if it was a stroke, I couldn't stop it. I was crying, hyperventilating, expecting the worst. I expected to have other parts of my body go numb, or expected to feel something stroke-related. Thankfully, I did not have a stroke. They ruled it as a complex migraine in the E.R., which can cause parts of the body to have temporary paralysis or numbness. They sent me home with a medication to take if it happens again, and to follow up with my neurologist asap.
I had some of the same symptoms that weekend, just not to the extent of Thursday and Friday. I followed up with the neurologist Monday, and eventually got an appointment to see her that Thursday. I saw her, and she said things were looking better with my face. Off and on (and still to this point) the right side looks different than the left- but I think it looks puffy. I have it even today. She said my test results she ordered for me came back good. She ordered a predictor test for strokes, for blood clots, etc. My sister (twin) has a blood clotting disease from a gene mutation sequence. I only have a part of it, and not the full mutation. So, no blood clots for sure. Which means that I don't have a huge chance of having a stroke. Unfortunately, for my sister, she does. And that worries me for her. I pray that she never has one.
By that Thursday, I had some slight swelling in my left hand. Still numbness in my left hand, but it was not a lot. In fact, it comes and it goes. She ordered an MRI/MRA (to check the blood vessels in my brain), which I just had done this Wednesday. I did have an echo cardiogram done last Wednesday, but no results on that yet.
Last Saturday, fingers in my right hand went numb. I cried. I was home by myself, and terrified something was going to happen. I cried because I was scared, not knowing what was going on in my body. My sister (she is a nurse, by the way) told me in a way it is good that my right side went numb, because it definitely rules out a stroke. All I can think of is, what is happening to my body?
So I dealt with some slight numbness in my right hand and arm this week. On Friday, my right calf started tingling, and it stayed that way for 3.5 hours. I am keeping a symptom/pain diary, so I wrote it down. Yesterday morning, I woke up with major swelling in my hands and arms. Then, I had some numbness in my right calf. Today, light numbness in my left hand, but still lots of swelling.
I am completely scared. I don't want to be alone. I don't understand what is going on in my body.
