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Just as things were improving...

Yet another setback.  I didn't see this one coming at all.  I was at a conference that I go to every year, and on Saturday I woke up with a headache.  Nothing big, just a little annoying headache.  I went through the day, even calling my endocrinologist on a weekend to get a refill for a medication I forgot.  After dinner, I was walking back to the main building and felt a little off. By the time I got back, I was slurring words and having a LOT of trouble with word retrieval.  This progressed until I had no speech that was intelligible and my right hand felt all tingly and numb.

My friends mom is a nurse and she was there to give my my injection of solu-cortef and Andrew called 911 (I think he did, someone did).  They took me here, to Mass General, where I was treated in the ER with tPA which breaks up clots that cause strokes in the brain.  I had scans, tests, and more tests, and finally as I was regaining some speech they sent me up to the Neuro-ICU to stay.

 Through the night my speech got better, and the next morning was like nothing had happened.  I was tired and had a great chance of bleeding so I was downgraded to the regular neuro floor (where I had both of my pituitary surgeries - I even know some of the nurses here still!)

Today, I'm crossing my fingers I will get to go home.  I am waiting for the doctors to go over my scan again.  I will definitely have to follow up in the stroke clinic because I will be at a slightly higher risk for having another one in the future.  Because of how quickly my friends and the doctors acted, I will have ZERO lasting effects.  I owe them more that I will ever be able to repay.

I'll probably post another update later this week.  Thank you all for your positive thoughts and visits, it definitely makes staying in the hospital just a little better!


EDIT: Just kidding.  I have to have an echocardiogram and a heart monitor fitted before I can go home.  I am guessing it will not be fast.

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