For Those Who Are Wondering....

It's been almost a year since I had a stroke.  Sometimes it seems like it was such a long time ago!  I'm so thankful to be driving again, as well as being alive! lol  For those who are wondering, here's what's been going on with me...

I went to the Neurologist at Scott and White Hospital two days ago and got a great report!  The doctor said that I could go off of the blood thinners and start a one-a-day aspirin regimen.  He also ordered an EEG that I had done yesterday and said that if it came back normal I could also stop taking the seizure medicine, the reason being that since the seizure was provoked by the blood clot/stroke, I would be less likely to ever have one again.

Because it's a new doctor, I always have to tell them everything that happened all over again...I'm getting pretty good at it now!  When I told him the sequence of events that led up to the stroke - having major migraines for two weeks straight and then going to the doctor and getting migraine medicine prescribed the day before I went to the hospital - he said, "Hmmmm...that's interesting."  Apparently, people with a clotting disorder cannot take vasoconstricting medications called triptans, or medicine for migraines, because it constricts your veins and narrows the blood vessels thus restricting blood flow.  And he said that it was interesting that I had a stroke less than 24 hours after taking the medication!  Wow!  I can't really be mad at the doctor who prescribed it because there's no way he could have ever guessed it would only cause more problems!  Also, the Neuro doc said that the Factor V Leiden (blood clotting disorder) is usually found in people of Scandinavian descent.  Interestingly enough, my grandmother's great grandmother was from Norway!

Since I cannot be on blood thinners or aspirin while I am pregnant, when Josh and I do decide to start having kids, I will have to start giving myself shots in the stomach.  Not fun!  This is one reason why we have put off having babies for a little longer.  Ideally I would like to not be surprised by a pregnancy and think, "Oh shoot...I hope I didn't screw up my kid because I was taking medicine when I didn't realize I was pregnant!"  I know if God wants us to have a baby, I will have a baby either way, but as long as I have some control over when it happens, we will probably wait another year.

It has also been confirmed that I am a carrier of the Cystic Fibrosis gene so around the time that we decide to have kids Josh will also have to be tested to see if he is a carrier as well.

I think that's it since I can't think of anything else!

Thanks again to everyone who prayed for me!  I truly appreciate it!