All different kind of things going on

[soremouth]

Technically I did not have a stroke.. at least that is what all the test say.  In August I went into the urgent care with complaints of my left lip being numb and tingles starting to go down my left arm and part of my left leg. With in moments they called a ambulance and rushed me to the hosptial.  While I was in the hospital my entire left side of my face went numb.  After a couple MRI CAT scans ultrasound and blood test they came up with two things,  deep vein thrombosis, Venus sinus thrombosis.  They had found a small blood clot in one of the veins in my brain.  They sent me home with coumadin and lovenoex (may of miss spell that one).  As I was getting use to the fact that I had a blood clot in my brain my Neurologist sent me to a hematologist specialist.  One of the blood test that I got in the hospital showed that I have Factor V Lienden.  This confused me how can I have this and it not show up for 37 years? and how come I have all ways been a bleeder and hemorrhaged both times after giving birth?
My Hematologist had to give me two test because not only was the Factor V showing up but all so Von Willebrand disease.  The second test was done because he couldn't figure out why both were showing.  Well when the results came back nothing changed.  How can some one have both conditions?  You would think one would cancel out the other.
My Hematologist all ways ask "so how does it feel to be 37 and having a stroke"  I thought I didn't? So he explained that all tho the test show no damage all my other symptoms pointed to one saying the blood clot was putting too much pressure on some of the nerves in the brain.  So I either had one or didn't have one??
Since this all has happened I have noticed a huge I mean HUGE change in my short term memory not only that I seem to get tired easily.  Some days all I want to do is sleep.
I feel like I am not really getting any straight answers from my doctors especially my Hematologist.

I won't know for an other month 1/2 if the blood clot has dissolved.  My left lip still gets numb but goes away for a few days then numbs up again.

Just wondering if any one has ever gone through this mystery? Or if you have any information advice or some thing about what is going on with my head.

[vega1318]

the word "stroke" can be applied to different conditions:  hemorrhages, ischemic strokes, TIAs, etc.   all of these refer to arterial problems.   but then there are venous strokes - they can also be ischemic or hemorrhagic.   or they can potentially transiently damage an area of the brain by engorging it with blood because a venous thrombosis prevents blood from draining properly.   these "strokes" may not show up on MRIs but one may presume they may happen if thrombosis is not treated (with coumadin, etc.).   if you think your memory's not great, you should have it checked out with a neuropsychologist.  

[soremouth]

Thank you so much for your response.  It is funny that you had mentioned being dehydrated and inactive. My neurologist had said that same thing.. I thought she was taking a "guess"  about two weeks leading up to me being hospitalize we were going through a heat wave.. 104 with a heat index of 111- 114 Those days I layed around in bed  I just wasn't use to the humidity.

I use to take fish oil every day and it sounds like maybe I should go back to it.  Thank you once again!

[caregiver222]

Boy, you have some very interesting questions and I don't have the expertise to answer all of them. I will say the word "stroke" is sort of meaningless. It's kind of like saying someone has a "heart attack". It's not what we call an "operational definition", a covers an awful amount of ground. Probably the Coumadin is indicated and proper, however after two months, my personal feelings are you should end the coumadin. It's quite common for physicians to only "take a guess" about what is going on. And an MRI and  CAT won't necessarily show a transient problem. I don't know anything whatsoever about Von Willebrand disease, but I do know that clots can form quite rapidly in otherwise normal individuals who are inactive or dehydrated. And these clots can block blood flow and oxygenation and cause a lot of damage. Take heart in the fact you are young and the brain has tremendous redundancy and takes time to heal. Sleepiness is very common after a so-called "stroke". There seem to more questions than answers when you research stroke. I had a "minor" stroke and lost the ability to memorize entire pages of text and read them back. The MRI showed nothing, nor did the CAT. Nada. There is one school of thought that suggests that the use of substances that increase the "lubricosity" or "slipperiness" of blood cells can be as effective as anti-clotting agents. Such agents are omega-3 fish oils. There isn't a lot of mortality data, presumeably because studies cost money and these substances are not patentable. Request written copies of your medical records and the raw lab results. Obtain permission from experts in various medical universities to send them this materia to review. Offer them money for their time, in advance. Two heads, or three or more are much better than one, as a physician friend always tells me. The clot should dissolve on it's own. They generally do. The problem is, you don't want to get another one. You have to make your own decisions, but I am always hesitant to interfere with the body's compensatory mechanisms, such as clotting, unless there is a real need. And I am not convinced that physicians always prescribe based on that need, rather than on the need to "practice medicine according to the Merck protocols". Good luck. Cheer up. I think things are going to get better for you.