Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

Wednesday night, Joe called me around 8:30 and maybe five minutes after we started talking I was garbling everything I said. When I tried to write down words, I garbled them as well. We talked for awhile and I managed to express my dismay, and we decided I should call the Emergency Room. I asked for the doctor on call from Family Residency and after a brief wait, Dr. Young came on the line. She said I should get to the ER for an evaluation. So I called Joe back and he said he would come get me. Then I called Annie and left a message and then called Jessica at her home phone and talked to Steve. I also called my mother.

When I got to the Mercy Medical Center ER, I had trouble verbalizing, or even thinking of the name, when the nurse held up a piece of paper. When I first went into the emergency room, I had trouble reading some sentences and naming pictures. Eventually, I managed to complete the task flawlessly.

I had an IV shunt put in my right ankle and three tubes of blood withdrawn. I also had a CT scan to look for bleeding in the brain. Joe came back while I was in that ER room. Somewhere along the line the tech said it's a free country and we have the right to make choices. I said something to the effect of that right was being eroded by Republicans. When a nurse asked me who is the President of the United States, I glared at her and didn't name the SOB. She figured by that I knew his name.

I didn't want to be admitted to the hospital, but was told that would mean I would be characterized as AMA (Against Medical Advice). I am familiar with the term. So I went ahead and was admitted, but the process wasn't completed until 1:30 a.m. Joe had talked to Jessica, and she said to call her when I could, but that was too late. Also, Joe had to go out and buy a $5 phone card. I still have the card because I didn't need it. Annie and Jessica both called me the next morning, after getting my hospital phone number from my mother. I was released around 2:30 p.m. My mother and a friend of hers were coming to get me. When Agnes arrived, she suggested having a nurse call in the prescription for a blood thinner (Plavix), and the nurse did that for me. Then, forgetting my nurse had said I had to have a staff member walk out with me, Agnes and I went to the Cancer Center entry way, where my mother was waiting in the car. Annie called me at home that night. And pointed out I wasn't telling her all of the times I had an episode before things finally cleared up. I did finally get a shower and a shampoo early in the afternoon. Should I ever again have to head to the ER, I'm going to make sure I have my makeup with me.

Boots was relieved to see me when I got home around 3:30. (Had to stop for the prescription.)

I hadn't slept at the hospital Wednesday night because I was wide awake when the paper work was finally finished. So I fell asleep Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. and slept until my mother called me at 6:15 this morning.

Got to the grocery store and also to the bank and to the vet for dry food for Boots. His dry food averages out to $12 per month.

It was really fortunate that Joe happened to call me Wednesday night. Otherwise, I might never have figured out something was wrong.