I thought I was just tired.
It was a Friday afternoon.
I couldnt decipher a paragraph and grasp its meaning.
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My right arm was also starting to tingle and feel numb.
This couldnt be anything good.
I called my partner and told him what was happening.
He was concerned about a stroke.
By the time I arrived at the ER, I felt fine.
I could read again, my arm felt normal, and I wasnt seeing any more flashing lights.
But the doctors werent sure what had happened.
They did an echocardiogram to check for blood clots.
They did an ultrasound of the vessels in my neck to look for blockages.
They did MRI and CT scans of my brain to check for any apparent damage.
I ended up staying in the hospital for three days, hooked up to wires and tubes.
After all that, everything came back normal.
My brain looked fine, and there were no clear signs that I had suffered a stroke.
Instead, my doctors said it was amigraine.
I hadnt felt any headache painnot even a little bit.
“It can be a blind spot with a zigzag line that gets larger and larger.
The duration may be just a few minutes, or it could be up to an hour.”
Even though I didnt have any pain with mine,some people experience migraine painfollowing the aura.
Collectively, this constellation of symptoms can look like a stroke to those observing or experiencing it.
Thats why I had to undergo so many teststo be sure my brain showed no damage typical of stroke.
Migrainesboth with and without auraoften run in families.
Migraines of any punch in are arisk factor for stroke.
My migraines with aura have remained infrequent.
I had a similar event about 18 months after the first, but none since.
The contraceptives I use are low-dose estradiol, so for now I havent changed to a non-hormonal contraceptive.
If my migraine frequency increases or other risks appear, my doctors and I may decide to alter that.
My hospitalization was a frightening experience, but it didnt have to be quite so anxiety-inducing.
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