Brain Fart, Literally...

[allan_evett]

Well, this has been weird.  Early morning, October 20, I fell out in the hallway next to my home studio. I'd been awake a short while, feeling somewhat 'off'. My wife suggested a hospital trip, but I thought it was an anxiety attack. And that's the last thing I remember...Until fully coming to during the the ambulance ride to the ER at South Bend Memorial Hospital - which has an outstanding neurological staff. I vaguely recall the Dr. at our local ER choosing to send me there, apparently due to the possibility of surgery. None was needed, as the brain bleed began to re-absorb and heal. I did spend four days in South Bend though: lots of testing, poking and prodding, etc., and a well-guided start to recovery.  After effects have been amazingly minimal, though energy levels are still returning. I do wear corrective lenses - for long distance blended with close-up magnification, and I did notice some slight vision impact at first, but that has been correcting by itself - though an eye Dr. appointment is due, and planned. I went back to my church accompanying gig right away - one mass per week at first, but will be back to all three right after the US Thanksgiving week. Teaching has been entirely virtual for a few weeks, but I will be going back to the studio in-person - starting the last week in November.  The state of Indiana issues an immediate 6-mo driving restriction in cases like mine, so my general physician and neuro team will be consulting to eventually approve driving. Meanwhile my wife's very flexible work schedule and awesome boss will allow for her to drive me to most of my work.

 

So I had a hemorrhagic stroke, with an apparent accompanying seizure; the 'smoking gun' being high blood pressure. While I'd been diagnosed with that approx. 25 years previous, the meds given then caused extreme hypotension (all but passing out when rising from a seated position). My doctor at the time suggested naturally controlling BP - supplementing calcium/magnesium, eating potassium rich foods... I 'rode' with that idea for close to three decades; meanwhile BP climbed back up, which I chose to ignore... But as my wife stated at the hospital, " Your days of blood pressure denial are now over ". Meanwhile, lots of follow-up well into next year and new drugs!

 

Last week's CT scan was good, but they want to do a follow-up MRI (which I'd had at the hospital) in two months - to assure that there aren't any co-causes lurking in my brain. The neurosurgeon explained that while there was no sign of a major disturbance, i.e. expanding mass, there was a very-unlikely possibility of a small cyst/tumor lurking - and if so they'd want to address it right away. I told them this triggered the hypochondria of my youth, but they assured me they were all but certain the cause was high blood pressure. I have a buddy who survived cancer in his brain, and he's been a big help in squelching my resulting nervousness. Lotsa helpful knowledge there!

 

Takeaway from all this: Watch. Your. Blood. Pressure. I'm very fortunate to have survived with very little affectation. The stroke happened in the left side of my brain, which could've seriously impacted playing keys. The guitarist I worked with this past Saturday had a major stroke several years back; it severely damage his right side mobility and function. He had to re-learn a lot, and did months of inpatient and outpatient therapy. He called me, 'very lucky'. I agree!

 

[Jose EB5AGV]

I wish you a full and fast recovery 🙏🏻

[Floyd Tatum]

I also wish you a full and speedy recovery.     Good advice - I've got a sphygmomanometer, now I just need to learn how to use it properly, and check the old bp regularly.

 

[bill5]

What they said. Glad it worked out though!

[Piktor]

Allan, I am sorry to hear of your health issues and hope that you have as full and quick recovery as possible. I want to thank you for reminding us to look after our own health. This is timely advice for me and I suspect a number of others. 

[MathOfInsects]

Glad you’re ok. Damn!

[JohnH]

I am glad you are ok and wishing you a speedy recovery.

[Anderton]

Wow, I hope that it gets better and better for you. Sounds like you didn't actually dodge a bullet, but at least it only grazed you.

 

52 minutes ago, Floyd Tatum said:

I've got a sphygmomanometer, now I just need to learn how to use it properly, and check the old bp regularly.

 

You can get ones at Walgreen's and similar places, but you have to align the cuff carefully to get accurate readings. Have a doctor show you how.

 

[CyberGene]

This all sounds scary! 😱 I wish you speedy recovery!

[Lou Gehrig Charles]

All the best for a speedy recovery!  Your post reminds me I need to get on my doctor and/or Walgreens to refill my BP meds, which are supposed to renew automatically but all too often don't unless I make a few calls.  It's not supposed to be that way!

[Stokely]

Wow, all the best.

I've been on a medical roller coaster ride myself, and not my first rodeo.  Fortunately so far high blood pressure hasn't been an issue, but I'm all full up on issues, thank you!

Interesting that you thought it might be an anxiety attack.  I think people that haven't really had one of those just think they mean that people get really worried.  Nope--a "panic attack" can be a whole bunch of really severe and odd physical symptoms.  I had them really bad and didn't know what was happening for months--left side of my body would go numb, I'd taste metal, my eyesight wouldn't adjust going from light to dark for many minutes, chest tightness, and more.   Thought I was having heart problems, or some other dire "physical" thing, but the docs could find nothing wrong.  Finally a relative clued me in when she heard about it, she had had the same symptoms many years previously...even got rushed to the hospital because they thought she was having a heart attack!

 

[Michael Wright]

Here's wishing you a full and speedy recovery Allan.   All the best.  Mike 

[JoJoB3]

Woof!  Fast healing to you!

"Takeaway from all this: Watch. Your. Blood. Pressure."
Truth

[ProfD]

@allan_evett, appreciate you sharing your medical ordeal and encouraging others to be mindful of their health too.

 

Also wishing you a continued and speedy recovery.

 

Glad the gift of music was not adversely affected. Keep playing mayne.😎

[Joe Muscara]

I saw that post on FB too. Best wishes, Allan. Take care of yourself, we like having you around and at another MWKCFH!

[Old No7]

5 hours ago, allan_evett said:

Takeaway from all this: Watch. Your. Blood. Pressure. I'm very fortunate to have survived with very little affectation.

 

Wow, thanks for the "public service announcement" by sharing your story.

 

Maybe you just saved one or more of us....  Bless you in your continued journey through recovery -- and life!

 

Old No7

[David Emm]

Thanks for accentuating my own creeping decrepitude! 😱😛 I wish you equilibrium, as you'll be monitoring yourself more keenly from here on. Keeping your BP under control is far easier than its ever been, but it comes with its varied annoyances. Take heart, no pun intended; it can be managed. Keeping at your music is a solid way to support your health, too. The emotional and physical benefits are quite real.

 

Life tends to move from brushing off all sorts of things to inspecting them with funereal care. I have days that echo Redd Foxx's old bit of grabbing his chest and yelling "I'm comin', 'lizabeth!" Take your pills and try not to hang black crepe prematurely. To paraphrase Zappa, "You're not dead, you just smell funny."

[stoken6]

Wow! Good luck Allan, we're all wishing you a robust recovery.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Montunoman 2]

Wising you you the best, Allan, I’m very sorry to hear about this, and I hope you have some good insurance. I’m scared to death about stuff like that happening to me as the health insurance I get from being a school teacher is worth sh*t.  I actually pay a lot for it, which really sucks. 

[BMD]

25 minutes ago, Montunoman 2 said:

Wising you you the best, Allan, I’m very sorry to hear about, and I hope you have some good insurance. I’m scared to death about stuff like that happening to me as the health insurance I get from being a school teacher is worth sh*t.  I actually pay a lot for it, which really sucks. 

 

Here in the UK we have the NHS, so if anything like that happens to me I don't have to worry about the cost. I can't imagine living in fear of illness due to the cost like you guys over there do

[Adan]

Allan, I'd say you are incredibly lucky.  On the totally unscientific theory that we are all allotted a certain amount of luck in life and when it's gone it's gone, you may want to get on top of the blood pressure problem in any way necessary.

[Montunoman 2]

22 hours ago, BMD said:

 

Here in the UK we have the NHS, so if anything like that happens to me I don't have to worry about the cost. I can't imagine living in fear of illness due to the cost like you guys over there do

And to make matters worse, They never tell you how much it’s gonna cost until they send you the bill

[marino]

My best wishes for a speedy and full recovery. And thanks for sharing your experience!

[ksoper]

Best wishes, Allan. That is some truly scary stuff. 

[mcgoo]

Dang, Allan!!!! Glad you're ok. Could've been so much worse. My best to you for a speedy recovery! 

[rickzjamm]

Thanks for the reminder... that can happen to anyone at any age.