Strange TIA

[OneScaredBuckeye]

I had what my doctor thinks is a TIA only three nights ago, though I didn't explain everything completely to him.  I got so scared when he told me it was a TIA and I've been terrified ever since.  Finding this forum is a big help to me because I don't feel so alone.  

I was lying in bed reading (I had been reading all day, though not in bed) and my husband asked if he should turn out the light or if I wanted to read more.  I told him to turn out the light.  I should add that I've been having problems with my eyes, flashes of light out to the side due to PVD (no retinal detachment) myopia becoming presbyopia (or so it seems), astigmatism in the right eye.  

As soon as my husband turned off the light, I noticed my left eye was not "seeing" as well as it should be.  It seemed like there was a black "spot" in front of it.  I covered my right eye and I could see the window in front of me, but not the moonlight coming in through the slats.  It was just black where the moonlight should be, but it wasn't a "blind spot" as I could see the blind itself.  I covered my left eye and I could see everything.  I tried covering my right eye again.  Same thing.  I didn't have a "blind spot" but I just couldn't see the light coming in.  The whole window was black, like a TV screen, though I could see it.  I turned and looked back to another window that had more light coming in and I could see, though my vision in my left eye was dimmer.  I know the blindness could have resolved in the few seconds before I put my hand over my right (unaffected eye) but it still seems strange to me that all I couldn't see was the moonlight coming in through the slats.  I thought if vision resolved after a brief TIA, then I'd see the moonlight dimly and see it just grow stronger and stronger until it returned to normal.

I then ran, really ran, with no problems, upstairs and told a family member I might be developing a detached retina.  Then, all was fine.  I went to the bathroom, went to bed and shrugged it off.  I saw the doctor the next day for depression and just mentioned the eye incident as an afterthought.  Now I find myself scheduled to have an echocardiogram and a carotid duplex as well as blood tests, which I'll have, of course.  The doctor also put me on daily aspirin therapy, 81 mg. day.  He said my carotid arteries and heart sounded fine, but of course, the distinctive sound of blockage is not always heard.

I've never been sick in my life except for mumps, measles, and chicken pox as a child and shingles in August, affecting lower right facial nerve, which cleared with no side effects.  I did not find them bad at all.  I have no family history of cardiovascular disease (I mean none, not even all four grandparents families), am Caucasian, have normal blood pressure (about 120/60), good pulse (about 50 usually), exercise an hour or more daily, eat almost no fat, salmon but no other meat, never smoked, never drank alcohol, never took illegal drugs, never had migraines.  I am somewhat overweight and dieting.  I'm fifty-nine and look and feel thirty-nine.  People take for thirty-nine or forty.  I considered myself so lucky before this.  Maybe I still am.  The only problem I can think of is I've been having a few irregular heartbeats lately due to stress, I think.  

I do have extreme anxiety and depression and have had for quite some time.  The doctor started me on Paxil 20 mg. and I was already taking Valium 10 mg. and Inderal 20 mg. once a day.  Even with all of this, I'm a total wreck of nerves.  No one in my family will talk to me about what happened or my fears.  They think I'm making too much out of it and maybe I am, especially after reading this forum.  But this is totally new to me and I'm just terrified.  I was relaxed, for me, when it happened, by the way, but still stressed.

I guess I am lucky.  So far, I have no residual effects.  I feel fine physically, just a wreck mentally and so, so afraid.  You do value everything so much more after this kind of scare.  I love my life and don't want to leave it.  Had this not happend, I would have been out running today and feeling good.

Does anyone else find it odd that the moonlight was the only thing I couldn't see?  That I could see the blinds and not the light?  The blinds were much more dim.  Wouldn't loss of vision after a small clot have resolved differently?

[OneScaredBuckeye]

Hi Jazzy,

Thanks so much for the reply.  I wasn't scared when it happened because I didn't know it could have anything to do with a TIA (stupid me!).  I had an appointment with the doctor the next day for a medication change and almost didn't mention it to him, but I'm glad I did.  He immediately started me on a daily 81 mg. aspirin.  After he told me what it probably was, then I was scared! LOL  Naturally.  Tomorrow is my echo and Friday is my carotid duplex and I'm hoping for good results.  I'll have to go to a lab and have a blood workup, too, and see an opthamologist.

My body is definitely different, too.  I've noticed the changes this year, but this is the only scary thing I've ever had.  

I'm glad to hear your arteries were great, but sorry to hear you have the PFO.  I hope everything works out well for you.

Thank you again.

Buckeye

[Jazzyfizzle]

Hi Buckeye

That had to be a frightening experience. I have had a couple TIA's and doc's were looking into it. I do have diabetes but well controlled for over 4 years now. I had no other risk factors and last week they found a PFO and I am to see a heart specialist to see about having it closed. I had the full heart workup when this all began and it all looked pretty good and didn't ever show the PFO.

My body is defintely different than it used to be, but overall I've been able to adjust to it. I just had the carotid duplex when they did the TCD and they arteries were great.

All the best

Jazzy