Stroke related

My wife is a 30 yr. old type 1, with high blood pressure  recently began excersise program and was diagnosed with a dissected carotid artery. She was having numbness in her left arm and leg beginning at the end of June. Visit to ER first of July did CT scan but found nothing, she was sent to a neurologist and he said it was maybe tennis elbow. Numbess continued so she began to see a chiropractor and began to see improvements. she started to have severe headaches and pain in lower back at the end of Sept. On Nov. 1st she went back to ER with pain and numbness and was sent home with some pain meds and told to see Primary. He sent her for MRI.She was admitted to hospital with several small strokes.Angiagram found dissected carotid artery. We are not sure what caused this.She was put on Lovenox for a week and also on Coumadin and Lipitor
and a BP med.  I guess i'm wondering who missed what and what to do now. Should the first Neuro seen something? Should the ER have run some tests?  She will begin Phys. therapy this week. She still has good movement but is weak on that side. Ialmost forgot she had a diabetic retinathopy in JAN 01 and was reattatched. could this have been due to restricted blood flow through the carotid? I know there are a lot of questions , but I want the best info I can get for my wife. Any insight is appreciated Thank you.

[JDRF-Team-gg]

SPO1,
I am so sorry to hear of the health issues you and your wife have been dealing with over the past year.  I am not an MD, so I can't answer your questions regarding if something was missed by the health care professionals that your wife saw.  I can tell you that you may never know the "why's" of what has happened to her, and that's OK.  I hope that she is under the care of an endocrinologist (diabetes specialist).  That is who may have the answers to some of your questions.  The important thing is that you are there for her and support her through all of it (and you writing this e-mail tells me that you already do!).  I myself have had medical mishaps occur and it is truly counterproductive to dwell on things that we may never know the answers to.  It is true that people with diabetes are at higher risk for vascular abnormalities along with other types of complications.  Maintaining optimal blood glucose control is extremely important in avoiding the major complications of diabetes.  Stroke and diabetic retinopathy are some of those complications.  I know what it's like to care for someone with diabetes as I am the mom of a 16 year old who was diagnosed at the age of 21 months.  It is not easy, but making healthy lifestyle choices with food and exercise may prevent further complications, so I hope that you continue to support her in everything that she goes through.  She is very lucky to have someone who cares so much.  I wish you and her the best in her recovery process.