Don’t you hate it when you’re preparing the spare room for weekend guests, then suddenly you’re being transported from your small-town hospital to a regional hospital, with a possible further transfer to UVA?
While moving copper pieces to their rightful place around the fireplace, I stood up and suddenly felt lightheaded. I also noticed a vision change in my left eye—a dark, oscillating shape at a 90-degree angle. An hour later, I was being evaluated for stroke: bloodwork, CT scans, and neurological exams. I was transferred to Lynchburg General Hospital for further tests. My blood pressure was extremely high, and a CT scan revealed an aneurysm. A stroke was still under consideration.
At Lynchburg General, a 2:45am visit from the attending doctor calmed my anxiety. He reassured me that the neurologist—coming in the morning—was “the best.” More bloodwork and neurological tests occurred during the early morning hours, but I managed a few hours of sleep after reflecting on some of the “what ifs.” I could see the dark outline of the Blue Ridge Mountains from my window.
The neurologist was indeed “the best.” He is convinced the change in my eye vision is due to an ocular migraine (official name too long to remember, or type.) The aneurysm is a tiny one, a “red herring” found only because we were looking; it’s not related to my symptoms. It will be monitored, but shouldn’t be an issue. The brain MRI was clean: no stroke evident. The change in my blood pressure is a mystery, according to the attending doctor.
So what now? I’ll follow up with doctors, keep my BP under control (with meds, it’s almost back to normal four days later), and focus on stress management and better sleep. I already eat well and am treating my back issues. Once that’s resolved, I’ll return to the gym.
A suggestion for everyone: listen to your symptoms. My vision returned to normal in about 25 minutes, and I almost shrugged it off because no one wants to spend hours in the ER. I had no clue my BP was high. I’m grateful I trusted my gut and had Russell take me to the ER. What began as a scary event ended with good news.
Susan Wheeler Smith 