questions about kids and stroke

[mommabear70]

hi everyone and thank you for any help... my son now 8 has had open heart surgery when he was 3months.. last summer we think he may have had a small stroke (he had a cardiac implant so he couldn't get a MRI) his signs, for a few months prior he was somplaining of numbness in hands/legs or just one extremitiy. also was diagnosed with migranes. this one day he said his head hurt and his lungs felt heavy...he was up past bedtime, camping on the floor with his brothers... after about 45 minutes he still had the headache and heavy lungs and felt numb on the right side... I gave him motrin and a neb treatment as I thought he might be getting ill.. sent him back to his bed.. 45 min. or so later I checked on him he pulled himself out using his left arm and pulled himself up with the use of a chair.. asked if he wanted to come out with mom and dad  his right leg was up and turned in and his left leg was so wobbly.. he "tried" to come but fell I caught him stood him up ..i told him to come on.. he said  caaaaaaa   (stuttering that) so i carried him  about 15 minutes later he could talk a little but not walk... didn't dawn on me of a tia.  (my disoreder I have I get numb due to nerve damage... and his neurologist thought it was anxiety) a few days later it clicked so I called his pcp and no call back.. neuro.. isn't sure.... now school has started and boy my little man isn't the same... he used to be able to spell words like OF, WAS ARE and so on.. no it is WUZ, UF, UR... he is slower on his processing things, and is a little weaker on the right side (he is right handed) drops things with his right hand and now he also runs  with his right foot turned in.. neuropsych eval was done the other day they are VERY concerned and feel he may have had a small stroke.. they want neurologist to do a MRI his implant was removed   my question.. does a mri always show a stroke, especially in childfren.. I am very worried...

[selmaS]

  Sometimes it is not that something does not show up, it is more what did they go in looking for.

If they have an idea what it may be, they can set the MRI for the right magnification and slices to look....if they go in blind, things can get missed, it may not be they did not show up, they had no idea what to look for....not sure it makes sense.

[mommabear70]

Oh I know they know what they are looking at.. I was just wonderng if it would show up after 10 months... it has been a slow process for this... they are pretty sure thaty he did have one he has alot of the signs however iith the cardiac implant he had and as many times as he hasbeen exposed to radiation they wanted to be really really sure that it lloked like he  had one.. I just wasn't sure if it would show up after 10 months let alone show up... was wondering if it was possible it might not show up ..I have had MRIs and my tumors never showed up until they got really big so it just makes me wonder... I know nothing is perfect in like, it was meaning do we subject him to a MRI if it might not show up
Thank you

[selmaS]

  Hi,....I would imagine that a MRI would show all signs of a TIA or stoke regardless of age.....they set the machine for what they r looking for IE- use the machine with the right strength /magnification and then do certain slices and angles to look for damage or signs of stroke....and it is not that have no idea what to look for , they know or r considering it a possibility.

I know this must be very difficult for u as well...so hang in there  and do post updates on ur little guy when u get more info : )