Friday, December 14, 2012

Dased and Confuzed

It's been exactly one month since I lost my mind.

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.