OT-My Mom

[sunshinegirl]

I know this is terribly off-topic, but you all have such a wealth of personal experience and knowledge that I thought I would toss it out there to you.

Last night I posted that I was so excited that my mom is going to start doing some work for Sunshine. Well, this morning my stepdad called to tell me that my mom had a TIA this morning and was in the hospital. She's only 51 and doesn't smoke (has never smoked). Admittedly, her blood pressure is high and she could lose a few pounds to be more healthy. She does NOT lead a sedentary lifestyle.

If any of you have any experience with this, could you PM me? I'm frantically looking online for what it means, how to deal with it, etc. Her mom had a massive stroke a couple of years ago and has not been herself ever since. I can't bear the thought of something like that happening to my mom so young! So I need to find out what I need to do to turn the tide and help her prevent it from happening again. She is S-T-U-B-B-O-R-N.

 

[sammielynn]

Wish I could help, don't have much medical infromation but I do have hugs, wellwishes and prayers.

 

[caitty13]

Sorry to hear about your mom. My mother had a heart attack when she was 51, I thought that was really young too. I wish you all the best

 

[alacazander]

Oh i'm so sorry to hear that. I don't have any medical knowledge about that but I can send e-support to you. Posting is a great thing. I bet someone will be able to help and the more you know I bet the better you'll feel. It's hard to be in the dark and to not know the unknown. I hope your momma will just fine and working side by side with you soon! Hang in there!

 

[Soccer Princess]

I have no advice, but I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am to hear about your mom. I hope she gets to feeling better soon!

 

[lnh'smom]

So sorry to hear about your mom. I am currently in nursing school and am by no means an expert, but I do know that TIA stands for transient ischemic attack. Most people call them mini strokes. The symptoms are like a stroke, but there isn't any permanent damage to the brain. What happened is that your mom got a blood clot in an artery and her brain couldn't get enough oxygen. It usually comes on very quickly, but the symptoms don't last long. Often as little as a minute. The one thing about TIAs is that it is usually a sign that a stroke will occur. This is all I can tell you off the top of my head. I am 99.9% my info is accurate, but if I am wrong, someone can please tell me. I will keep you and your mom and stepdad in my prayers!

 

[lnh'smom]

I guess I should add that I don't have any experience, just from articles I have read and from school. Also, you are higher risk for strokes if they run in your family. I also know that high blood pressure makes you at risk for strokes. I don't really know what to tell you as far as what you can do since I am a student nurse and not a doctor, but you can encourage her to do what she can to keep her blood pressure down. Also, make sure you, mom, and stepdad know the warning signs of a stroke so you can get her immediate med. attention.

 

[kytiam]

I am sorry to hear about your mom! I hope she will bounce right back from this! Do you suppose this kind of thing is nature's way of making us daughters appreciate all the worrying our moms have done for us over the years?
Anyway, I know you know your way around the computer extremely well, but I just thought I'd post a quick link to the info I found on webmd.com. Hope this helps!
http://www.webmd.com/stroke/tc/Transient-Ischemic-Attack-TIA-Topic-Overview
for you and your family!!

 

[JUST STARTING]

I'm sorry I can't give any information either but wanted to let you know I'm praying for you and your mom. \

 

[LorieR]

Sorry to hear about your mom...... I hope she is well and home from the hospital soon.

 

[bartleby1]

Oh, how scary! I don't have any medical advice either but wanted to wish all of you the best. I briefly skimmed the internet for an explanation of what a TIA is, and from what it sounds like, as scary as it is, it could be a blessing in disguise. Hopefully, your mom can use this as a warning sign to prevent any further problems and her doctors can advise her what steps need to be taken to prevent a stroke in the future.

Hugs to you, your mom, and your family!

 

[rhiannonwales]

Tricia
My mom had one a few years ago.She is a smoker tho.They say that there is a high likely hood of a stroke after one of these, but thankfully its never happened.Once they got her BP under control she was ok.
TIA can also be cause by heart disease, something they will probably be looking into.
MY mom is also on aspirin therapy to help with the formation of clots.


My thoughts and prayers will be with you!
Sherrie

 

[Disney4Drew]

I don't have any advice, but I am keeping you all in my thoughs.

 

[Tantor]

Thoughts are with you Tricia.
Keep strong.

 

[faithhope]

My mom was a smoker and she had one of these... she had double vision for a while, and was a little off balance... but recovered completely...

I only wish it had gotten her to quit smoking...

You are in my thoughts and my prayers.
Faithhope

 

[missymouse]

I am a Speech Language Pathologist with a neurogenic background. What the nursing student posted earlier is basically correct information.

A TIA stands for Transient Ischemic Attack. They are like very mini strokes that last in duration from about 1 sec. to 10 sec. They cause temporary dizziness, black outs, garbled speech or weakness in the extremities. They are often but not always a precursor to a CVA (stroke). As long as she gets herself checked out for both heart and neurologic issues she should be fine. Perhaps if not already recommended she should plan a visit to both a neurologist and a cardiologist. It may mean taking a blood thinner like aspirin, blood pressure may be out of whack and needs medication to get it under control or she may have some arteriosclerosis that needs to be addressed.

Many people have a TIA and then never have anything else happen until they are very old. They are very scary both for the person experiencing them and the family. Feel free to PM me if you would like additional information.

 

[mydogisbo]

I don't have anything informative to add, but to Tricia--I'm thinking about you & your mom.

 

[MommyBoo!]

No advice, just well wishes - .

 

[toystoryduo]

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, Tricia.

 

[ksloane]

I wanted to offer more prayers and hugs. My dad had a heart attack 4 years ago (at the age of 41) and it was VERY scary. You really never think of your parents as being close to having these types of issues that young. It really does make you appreciate them even more than you did already. I hope she gets better and as other posters have reported is possible, I hope she has no recurrence for a long time (or never). Good luck. We'll be thinking of you. Keep us posted.