on april 23 at 2:30 am, i had an ischemic stroke. my husband saved my life by acting quickly to call the first responders and the emergency team delivered tPa which aborted the stroke.
you can read the full story here. with a complicated case, we went to Mayo Clinic to have all the pieces put together.

may 10, {our twins birthday and mother’s day}, i was making coffee and as if someone flipped a light switch… i had another mini stroke. a transient ischemic attack. TIA.

july 5… another TIA.

but why. why was all of this happening?

we were receiving conflicting information and with a case that, at best, was ‘complicated’.. we needed to find answers. it seemed like there were too many pieces to the puzzle that needed to be put together to have a complete picture of what was happening, why it was happening, and how to prevent these strokes from continuing.

my local hematologist strongly urged us to get a second opinion from Mayo Clinic…a comprehensive team of specialists who work together to do just that. so we made our appointment, starting with the stroke team… a neurologist who specializes specifically in ischemic strokes.

our initial appointments were rescheduled after we tested positive for covid-19… but after our quarantine, we finally packed our bags and flew with lifeline pilots to rochester, minnesota.

the team

stroke neurologist
hematologist
migraine neurologist
gynecologist

timeline of important events

in order to get the full picture, here’s what the team put together as the official timeline of events that played a role in what happened.

february 2020 – total hysterectomy – started on estrogen therapy to prevent menopause

april 19 – i fell, carrying miller, and hit one side of my head on the ground while miller’s head hit the other…causing a bilateral concussion with visible bruising to my jaw/face. later, we found out i cracked 4 upper teeth and caused a massive infection in my upper jaw bone.

april 20-22 – face/sinus/mouth pain on the left side. intermittent face and tongue numbness and tingling.

april 23 – stroke – started on baby aspirin

may 10 – transient ischemic stroke

may 14 – molar fell out

may 15 – diagnosed infection in jaw + cracked tooth… started on antibiotics

may 22 – tooth extraction  – started 2nd round of antibiotics for persistent infection

june 11 – root canal + diagnosed 3 additional teeth were cracked from fall

june 16 – ENT diagnosed sinus cavity swelling + closure due to fall/jaw infection. sinus surgery scheduled.

july 5 – transient ischemic stroke

the big picture

after meeting with the full team, the pieces were all put together. the fall caused the concussion and trauma to the head/neck likely caused a carotid artery dissection. being on estrogen put me at a higher risk of developing clots and the infection in my jaw from the cracked teeth made this all the perfect storm for an ischemic stroke. in hindsight, we had warning signs… my face and tongue going numb, pain, headache. but i’m a healthy, 32 year old woman and stroke was never on our radar.
the carotid artery dissection likely caused an ischemic stroke, which was then aborted with the use of tPA… thank God. due to the infection still being present, a baby aspirin was not enough to prevent another transient ischemic attack. after that, we finally got the infection treated as well as an increased dose of aspirin to a full dose.

treatment

while we’re still awaiting some lab results that may change this, for now the plan is a daily full dose of aspirin, a statin {Lipitor for cholesterol}, an antidepressant to help manage menopause symptoms and calcium/vitamin d to help prevent osteoporosis.

i am no longer a candidate for hormone therapy due to the increased risk of stroke… once you’ve had a stroke, you’re automatically at a higher risk because your body knows what to do. because of that, i am in abrupt surgical menopause, which at the age of 32 comes with it’s very own set of complications and risks.

phew. it’s been a long few months… i am still awaiting sinus surgery which is coming up as well as a final tooth extraction and bone contouring of the jaw bone. i’ll have 4 months of healing and then will do bone grafting and 2 implants for the molars.

we’re making it… putting one foot in front of the other and learning to trust God and His timing far more than our own. zach has held us all together and with the incredible support from our family and friends, we’ve somehow come out stronger than ever before with a completely new outlook on life. we’re HERE for it. making memories along the way. of course this has been hard. like. really hard. i’ve felt like i was drowning. i’ve had panic attacks and am seeing a counselor for my own mental health… but the reality of it is, is that my kids need me. my husband needs me. so we’re fighting and we’re going to be better because of it. we feel immensely better now that we have a solid plan and course of action. it’s time to move onward and upward!!

thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for all of the support, love and prayers over the last 6 months. we have felt lifted up and honestly, some days it gives us exactly what we need to get through that day.

if you find yourself in the rochester, MN area or at mayo clinic, you may find the following posts helpful:

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getting to Mayo Clinic | lifeline pilots

best restaurants in rochester, MN

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