Short version:
November 14, 2012
- clicked on notification on FB from cousin - Carl Tipton
- Recognized Carl, but the name "Tipton" just didn't compute (why would he change his name?)
- Closed notification
- "tried" to read a post by FB friend
- massive jumble of letters (has she forgotten how to spell?)
- tried sounding out words phonetically, i.e. a-ma-zon
- nope, don't have a clue what that means
- slam my computer shut
- Neal calls from living room, "When did Frank Mitchell leave?"
- Me: Who?
- Neal: Frank Mitchell--Channel 8 weather man
- (who incidentally works out at our gym and has been "our weather guy" for umpteen years)
- Me: Frank......?
- Neal: MITCHELL--FRANK MITCHELL
- Me: That's not right........
- Break down in hysterical tears
- Neal wants to know what's wrong
- Me: I was trying to read something on.....you know....
- Neal: Facebook?
- Me: No.....you know.....
- Neal: Facebook!
- Me: No....face......
- Neal: Book! Facebook!
- Me: No....that's not it.....
- I give up and go to sleep on the couch
One MRI, one MRA, one Carotid Doppler, one CT Angiogram and thousands of dollars later--
- my arteries have some plaque and stenosis but not "significant"
- doctor goes back to original diagnosis of "complex migraine"
I get it. Sort of. A complex migraine can imitate a stroke. But everything I've read indicates that the symptoms are gone within 24-48 hours. I have been language-challenged for a month.
The good news is--since my arteries are not as clogged as originally suspected, I can go back to my smoking, drinking, high-fat diet and slothful lifestyle.
