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chops1sc

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I feel like I need to post this here since it might save one of you someday.

 

I've been battling 2 kidney stones all last week and while I have had them before these just don't want to pass. This past Friday my family and I took a short trip to celebrate the birthday of a family member and I had no idea I could have lost my life.

 

I debated whether or not to go since the stones were causing so much pain but I decided to load up on pain meds and go. We make the 2 hour trip and as soon as I get to the room I use the restroom hoping to pass the stones but instead I get hit with a dizzy spell along with the right side of my face and arm going numb. I try to speak and I just cannot get the words out. My immediate thought is I'm having a stroke.

 

My wife comes in the room and I'm trying to tell her something isn't right. She finally sees that I'm talking about more than just kidney stones and we head to the nearest ER. Call it luck, fate, whatever but we are 3 miles from the closest one. They start the protocol for stroke and it sets in that I have indeed had one. Although the CT scans were inconclusive the "clotbuster" meds have completely reversed my symptoms and I have suffered zero side effects from what they are calling a mini-stroke.

 

I know a lot of the members of this group have OCD tendencies and Matt himself knows what it's like to hold stuff in. Please try to take it easy and don't let this stuff put undue stress in your life. I was truly scared for my life. I turned 38 last Monday and I had no clue what was about to happen to me.

 

Take care of yourselves because life can change so fast. I thank God I was in the right place at the right time and the staff at the hospital were able to act quickly to treat me. I'm happy to say we're back home and I'm looking forward to some much needed rest (even though I STILL have the 2 kidney stones lol).

 

Thank you for reading this and please check out this life saving info on strokes.

 

http://www.strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/WarningSigns/Stroke-Warning-Signs-and-Symptoms_UCM_308528_SubHomePage.jsp#mainContent

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Every so often we get a kick in the *** from the man above to remind us to take better care of ourselves.   I'm glad you're okay and hopefully you follow up with whatever dr's they tell you to see.  I see about 6 dr.s for everything from gout to kidney stones to my heart dr (3 stents) and even though I feel great and think about skipping appointments, my wife won't let me, and she's right.  Don't ignore or brush off symptoms, and learn the signs.

If you come across someone with symptoms like yours, ask that person to smile. That's one of the first things that happens when experiencing a stroke...you can't smile.  

Take care guys and gals. 

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Glad this has worked out so well for you!

 

I totally agree...early intervention has served my wife and I well. She is a stage 3 cancer survivor and I the proud owner of an artificial heart valve. Like your brush with stroke, delay treatment for that type of stuff long enough and it gets way more serious.

 

Stay well Chris!

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Chris glad to hear your back on your feet. Tpa is a truly amazing drug to watch do its work. Scary thing is not every hospital is required to have that particular medication so sometimes your stuck with another ride to a more appropriate facility before you get the treatment needed.

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Thanks everyone. I wouldn't say I drink a lot of soda but I do have some. I'll most likely stick to water now maybe some tea. My wife thinks the stress and strain from the stones played a roll in the stroke but who knows. I'm trying to take it as easy as I can and letting the pain meds do their job. Looks like I'm going to have to rethink everything I do from now on. I definitely don't want to go through that ever again.

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Wow!!! Glad to hear you are ok, been dealing with a family member passing here for the past month and it has changed my focus on things. So much so that I am going in to work next Monday and letting them know I am retiring so I can enjoy what time I have left.

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Damn Chris, I'm glad you're alright. It's pretty scary stuff.... I'm 38 and I have the "can't happened to me" mentality like most people, but we tend to forget that even though our minds feel young, our bodies are not. I have a friend who's 33 years old and she just had a stroke 3 weeks ago, fortunately her husband noticed it quickly and she got throbolytics given to her within 3 hours and she suffered no deficits.

Edited by cev103
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Glad you went to the hospital!!!  TPN (clotbuster) has a fairly short window of opportunity and every second counts.  Hope any recovery you have goes quickly with no lasting effects. Hopefully they also started you on precautions to reduce the risk for future strokes.

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They did. I'm on low doses of both blood pressure and cholesterol medicine. My levels are at the high end of normal, which they said probably helped tremendously since I have no effects from the stroke. Sadly, I'm on a cardiac diet which means nothing but grilled chicken and cardboard for at least a while, lol! Thanks again for the thoughts and prayers!

 

Now we just gotta survive ol Matthew!

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Glad your ok.  Time is the key.  I can tell you clotbuster med does wonders.  My father thought he was having stomach issues (slight pain lower body but no chest pain).  He walked into the ER and said I am having pain down here so the doctor said lets take some blood and finish the exam, well couple minutes later the lab called and told he is starting to have a heart attack.  The young doctor jumped up got a shot and told my father put this oxygen mask on while I stick you with this shot we have no time.  The clotbuster was given and due to how quick no damage was cause.  They had him in surgery within 20 minutes doing a stint. 

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  • 1 month later...

Wow, Thanks for the heads up, I just read a article on kidney stones, it says people that go to amusement parks and ride roller coasters helps them pass the kidney stones faster. They are doing a cas study about it. I hope you passed your stones by now.

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