Stroke

[Jamieann]

Prayers would be much appreciated... 4 months ago I had valve replacement and today I had a stroke. I honestly can't even believe it, I'm only 27. I should count myself lucky - I survived and the only thing remaining is weakness and lack of coordination in my right hand and arm. Thankfully I recognized that I was having a stroke and my hubby took me right to the ER. They are going to do a ton more tests tomorrow to figure out where to go from here. Has anyone else had a stroke after valve replacement?

 

[pellicle]

make sure someone mentions TPA treatment to the hospital!

http://www.strokeassociation.org/ST...ment/Stroke-Treatments_UCM_310892_Article.jsp
tPA, the Gold Standard The only FDA approved treatment for ischemic strokes is tissue plasminogen activator (tPA, also known as IV rtPA, given through an IV in the arm). tPA works by dissolving the clot and improving blood flow to the part of the brain being deprived of blood flow. If administered within 3 hours(and up to 4.5 hours in certain eligible patients), tPA may improve the chances of recovering from a stroke. A significant number of stroke victims don’t get to the hospital in time for tPA treatment; this is why it’s so important to identify a stroke immediately.


Best Wishes

 

[pellicle]

I would expect that they may put you on AC therapy now too ... as yes, strokes can happen and can effect even tissue valve patients.

Best Wishes

 

[Ryanvs]

Oh my I am so sorry to hear that . I wish you all the very best.

 

[dick0236]

. Has anyone else had a stroke after valve replacement?

I had a stroke a very long time ago, when I was 38 and about 7 years post surgery.......and have lived a pretty normal life since. Unfortunately, back in the 1970s, post stroke treatment was pretty primitive and it left me with a permanent vision problem......but no other problems. Hopefully, with todays technology and your quickness in seeking treatment, you will have no lasting damage.

Mine was due to my poor management of INR.......and I have now gone 42 years with no further problems.......simply by taking warfarin daily and testing routinely.

 

[dornole]

Sorry to hear this. Tough to be so young and dealing with this kind of stuff for sure, I had my first heart thing at age 34. I've found that seniors can be useful sounding boards, they are able to be sympathetic but not horrified, more of an attitude of "poor health happens" while still really caring about what you're experiencing and knowing better how to help you emotionally than people in their 20s and 30s. I make those inter-generational connections at church. Since you asked, you have my prayers for a full recovery and for an excellent medical plan to prevent a recurrence. Hang in there. I am grateful you got help quickly.

 

[Agian]

Insist on clot busting drugs ASAP. Get pushy if you have to.
I'm with dornole. I meet so many wonderful senior citizens at the lodge.
Cantankerous bunch , but I love them to bits.
Stroke is something you can recover from, but you need to be insistent. Don't let them fob you off.

Your in my thoughts.

 

[honeybunny]

OMG! So sorry to hear that! Prayers going up~

 

[ottagal]

Sending you prayers for a complete recovery. My mother in law had a massive stroke and had an endovascular procedure to remove the clot for her brain 4 hours laters. Other than some fatigue and her golf ball not going as far, she is back to doing everything she did pre- stroke and this is only a month after. She is recovering remarkably.
I hope they get to the bottom of this and get it sorted out to prevent this from happening again and so you can get on with your life.
Just curious. Are you taking a baby aspirin?

 

[Jamieann]

Thank you all! Thankfully I am worlds better, and most of the weakness in my right hand is gone.
Nothing definitive on why I had the stroke... It was from a clot but they don't know where from, but more than likely related to my new valve. Treatment plan is to get on Coumadin for the next 6 months and then they will do a blood panel to see if that is still necessary. They are also going to send me home with an event monitor for the next month to see if it could have been a result of afib. Overall, I am very lucky to be alive. Trying to be positive about the Coumadin, since the entire reason I got a tissue valve was to not take Coumadin and be able to have kids.

 

[pellicle]

Hey Jamieann

I noted (well actually JulienDu noted as a result of a screwed up conversation we were having where I was saying potato and he was saying pota-toe and I thought he was saying ...) that you had previously had a strange situation post surgery. Let me quote the thread:

I also had minimally invasive surgery, and I would agree with Zoltania that the issue is weakness (although I did experience some pretty awful back pain after my surgery). Showering was hard and took way longer than usual but felt so good! My hormones were all crazy after surgery so I would be burning up sweating bullets and then freezing, so I had to rinse all the sweat off!

this is pretty unusual ... and smacks of endocarditis ... so I'm wondering if you had a vegatative mass somewhere on one of your leaflets and it broke off?

did they do d-dimer tests ?
https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/d-dimer/tab/test/



Was there any indications of thrombosis?
Have they done blood tests?

well worth investigating considering that
1) there is no cause for the stroke
2) you don't wish to be on AC for the obvious reasons
3) if there is another cause you want to know about it ASAP

I'd check it out if I was you

 

[Agian]

My valve homie in hospital got clots in both his legs, after a tissue valve and ended up on warfarin. I was under the impression that even with tissue valves they put people on warfarin for a while. FWIW I had a Tia in my eye, which they attributed to a PFO (small hole in the heart) Young people get them a lot.

I also suffered with chills post op, but it was the flu. Coughing up crap was the give away. Then things got better and now I can sleep. Showering after OHS is no easy task.

What did the neurologists say? If it was a clot, it's probably already dissolved. If it was a vegetation, you should be still able to see it on an MRI.

Anyways, told you you'd get better.

 

[Jamieann]

Hey Pelicle, yes they have done a TON of bloodwork as well as a TEE to check out my heart because they were initially really worried it could have been endocarditis. The results have been negative for any sort of infection.

The doctors here have been pretty thorough (neurologist, internal med, cardio & my heart surgeon). There are several more tests and blood cultures they ran that take 48 hrs so those results will come back today, so that could potentially shed more light as well.

They are also worried that an occurance of afib could have been the cause, which is why I'll be monitored for the next month as well.

A couple complicating factors are that I have been on birth control pills (which I will now need to stop taking), which can cause increased risk for clotting and I have family history of stroke and clotting (albeit my grandparents strokes and need for anticoagulants happened in their 80s not 20s!)

I know some people are put on Coumadin for the first 3-6 months after AVR, and I was not. I would imagine if many people are put on Coumadin after surgery that indicates an increased chance of clots in the months after surger even with a tissue valve...

 

[pellicle]

Hi

Hey Pelicle, yes they have done a TON of bloodwork as well as a TEE to check out my heart because they were initially really worried it could have been endocarditis. The results have been negative for any sort of infection.

that's good to hear ... sorry to sound "paranoid" ....

...I know some people are put on Coumadin for the first 3-6 months after AVR, and I was not. I would imagine if many people are put on Coumadin after surgery that indicates an increased chance of clots in the months after surger even with a tissue valve...

agreed. Well, anyway, lets just hope that its a one off ... best wishes

 

[Agian]

One of the reasons I was eager to leave the hospital was because I was convinced they were going to kill me. They had no idea about warfarin. Some of the nurses were hyper sexualised 'moles' (you'll have to google that). The Pelmeister is right, take an interest in your own health, no one else will give a ****, excluding your loved ones of course.

BTW if you've had a TOE, they would have discovered the PFO, if you had one.
My argument would be, if you're going to put a tissue valve in, a three month course of Warfarin sounds like a good idea.

 

[cldlhd]

First and most important I'm glad to hear you're doing better. Pel is right about recognising a stroke quickly. My grandad was a tough old Marine who fought across the Pacific and was very active ( whitewater rafting, skiing etc..) right up until he had a stroke at the age of 67. Being the way he was he ignored it until we saw him and noticed the obvious impairment but by then the damage was done.
On a side note I'd like to hear more about these nurses.,,..

 

[Catie]

Jamieann, sooo sorry to hear of your stroke. I hope you'll have no residual loss and that the few months of coumadin will help keep you safe, going forward. I know you don't want to be on it. Sorry this happened and I hope you continue to feel better and better.

 

[harrietW]

Jamieann
I am glad you are feeling better. You are in my prayers. I cannot imagine how scary that must of been for you , especially after your recent valve surgery. Take care and hope you heal well.

 

[Agian]

On a side note I'd like to hear more about these nurses.,,..

My room was right next to the nurses station. You have to remember that most folks in a cardiac care ward are elderly people. A couple of Temazepam at night, and they're out like a light. I had the displeasure of being kept up with their carry-on. What really broke my heart was the contempt they treated some of the patients. Some one would press the buzzer and it would be like '**** em'. It bordered on hatred. I always thought that the male gender had a monopoly on sleaziness. I learned the hard way that there are female *******s out there, as well. I just felt for the young girlies straight out of nursing school and hope they don't evolve into arseholes.

 

[Jamieann]

Whoa! That's crazy about the nurses. I'm at the same hospital I had my valve replacement at, and the vast majority of the nurses have been really good. The exception was a male nurse who kept touching my feet to see if I "had any effects from the stroke in my feet" and then said everyone thinks he has a foot fetish but that he really doesn't. Very awkward. He also came in to my room at 3 am, turned on the light and starte a random conversation about strokes. Couldn't tell if he was creepily attempting to hit on me or just extremely strange and unable to take social cues. Either way I tried to mention my husband about every other sentence in hopes he would take the hint!!