The Finetooner here and missing all of my friends. I'm not dropping out; I just can't get on! ANYWAY..........Last Tuesday, I woke up with my left arm surface numb, weak, and partially paralyzed. I thought it would wear off ( I slept on it wrong?) but when I got to work and still could not keyboard, I called my primary care physician and he told me to go straight to the emergency room. About the time I got there, the paralysis began to wear off. They checked me out and insisted I be admitted into the hospital overnight for "observation." Three days later, after being held hostage, being dragged through countless tests, being bled dry for blood samples, they released me. The tests? Cat scan of the head, MRI of the head, MRI of the neck, intravenous bubble test, echocardiogram, endoscopic echocardiogram, complete neurological assessment, cardiovascular enzyme evaluation, electrocardiogram, etc, etc. All of the tests were inconclusive or negative. A shadow was seen in one of the atriums of my heart and they thought I might have a blood clot which was causing the paralysis. It is what is known in medical circles as a "transient ischemic attack," the precursor to a full-blown stroke. I was put on a "cardiovascular" diet which meant the food was tasteless. I was a virtual prisoner because my committee of doctors said that my insurance would not pay if I left against "medical advice." I still have to go for a cardiovascular MRI of the chambers of my heart to see if this "shadow" is indeed a clot or just an "artifact" or skin tag. Why am I blessed? The father-in-law of one of my dear friends happened to be there at the same time. He had a massive stroke in the hospital and he is dead. I was discharged and am still alive. Is there a lesson here? If all of this turns out negative, I have at least been given a clean bill of health and have cheated death. To God be the glory. One was taken away; one was spared for a purpose. Please Lord, a little more feedback on that purpose.......
