The actual list of illnesses I have (so far yuk yuk) as a CURRANT diagnosis are: CFIDS; Persistent Ebstein Barr Syndrome; Mitral Valve Prolapse; Neuropathy in my brain due to migraines which cause chronic almost daily migraines; Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis; and since last November, a history of stroke with unknown cause thus far. Some of these by themselves would be no big deal, but combined with everything else and I’m just a mess lol.

The MRI series they did on me in November confirmed that I did have a stroke but the reason they did the CAT scan in the first place is because of the migraines, which are NOT caused by the stroke lol. When I was admitted into the hospital this last Monday they ran another CAT scan and MRI which, because I can eaves drop well and my doctors had a nice little habit of talking about me OUTSIDE of my room to each other, I learned showed that I did indeed have another stroke but that I was lucky enough that it didn’t show any new damage – and then I heard *muffled mumble same area that was damaged initially* *more muffled mumbled response this is her second instance so she would qualify*

They did a HORRID procedure called a transesophageal echocardiogram where they stick a camera about as tall as and a little wider than a screwdriver handle down your throat and turn it all around (while you’re awake, gah!) to do an ultrasound of your heart from behind it and that’s how they found both the hole in my heart and an aneurysm.

My neurologist has decided to NOT approve the surgery to repair the hole in my heart *at this time* because she’s “not at all convinced” that the hole is the cause for my strokes. My ADA titers were also VERY high (640 when normal is around 30), which are the same antibodies that are high when someone has lupus but the rheumatologist said he doesn’t think it’s a strong possibility that I have lupus because I haven’t had the swollen joints, the face rashes or the Raynaud’s Phenomenon (purple fingers fingers and toes from cold or stress) that are most common with Lupus – however I do have many of the other symptoms such as the chest pains from deep breathing, extreme fatigue, swollen glands, mouth ulcers, edema, unusual loss of hair, muscle aches, on and on..

Unfortunately I had two of the worst migraines I’ve ever known while I was in the hospital (probably triggered by all of the chemical-ly and antiseptic smells) and was hopped up on fioricet and nebutal and wasn’t able to ask the questions I probably should have and will have to wait until tomorrow to get a few more answers.

They upped my medication for my neuropathy, put me on Plavix along with my current 81mg of aspirin, drew about 20 vials of blood over the 4 day period (12 of them the morning of the day I was discharged) sent me home with a list of follow up appointments and that was that. I’ll do my best to keep you up to date/informed.

ACK this was much longer than I wanted it to be but you’re stuck with it now as I don’t really feel like going back and reading through and figuring out where to prune lol.