The Paramedic and the Purple Dress

Daily Prompt – Slur

“Honey, are you alright? Are you awake? What’s the last thing you remember? Did you know you are slurring?”

I hear those words way too often these days. My Hubby will notice my face drooping on the right side, me fading in and out, trying to hold myself up. They may be all together or one or two symptoms at a time. An episode can be gone just as fast as it starts or take a while to completely go away.

I have been tested for a full-on stroke, TIA’s (mini strokes), diabetes, vertigo, migraines, absence seizures, you name it. And different doctors have different opinions on the same episode.

A couple of summers ago, Hubby and I were all ready to go to a BBQ at his parent’s place as some cousins who we hadn’t seen for a few years were visiting. We were both looking forward to it.

We were all ready to go and were just relaxing a bit in the cool living room before leaving. I had put on my purple cotton sundress with the ruffles on the short-in-the-front, long-in-the-back hem. Definitely a statement piece LOL!

Just before it was time to go I felt my face drooping and Hubby asked that battery of questions at the top. Things were pretty blurry (figuratively and literally) and pretty soon I heard a commotion as the paramedics arrived on the scene. They were asking me questions but I couldn’t comprehend or answer so Hubby had to do it.

The next thing I know we are on our way to the hospital. There they put in an IV, a doctor checked me out right away and I had a CT scan. Then we were put back into the ambulance and Hubby was asked to come as well. We got to the Vancouver hospital in record time and I was given another CT scan. I think I fell asleep for awhile and the doctor came saying I hadn’t had a stroke. They moved me out of the way until an ambulance could take me back to our hospital. Hubby had already left to get our vehicle.

On the ride back I guess I started slurring again and they took me right back. The same doctor came back and said, “I said you didn’t have a stroke”. My mind wanted to say that I didn’t ask to be brought back but the words wouldn’t come out. I spent the night in a holding area and was taxied back at 6:30 am. There, the doctor told me that I had all the signs of a TIA and said he was sending me to the stroke prevention clinic.

There I was looked at by another stroke specialist who explained I had a hemiplegic migraine.

I have also since then found that the slurring can be caused by low blood sugar, fatigue (which I always have), and dehydration. So, as long as I watch those things I am okay!

Oh, remember the purple dress? Well, The ambulance attendant told me as they were strapping in for the first attempt at taking me back that he had never “chauffeured someone in such a pretty dress before”.

Lydia!