DENISE LIKENS
Sep 6, 2002
My spontaneous dissection of the left transvertebral artery occurred on January 8, 2001. Actually it may have started during the night, but I really thought I had the stomach flu (vomiting and diarrhea).
Around noon on the 8th, I got up for the umpteenth time to vomit and whatever. I finished in the bathroom, and to my amazement, I couldn't stand up; in retrospect, I had some trouble getting to the bathroom, but it's very close to the bed and I was able to lean against the wall. Finally (thanks to having a small bathroom - it is the first time I was ever grateful that a bathroom was small), I managed to stand up, get to the doorway of the bathroom and LAUNCH myself into the bed. At that point I guess I passed out for a couple of hours; I woke up because one of our dogs was licking my face. I then crawled to the head of the bed and called my husband (he is a vet, but teaches now instead of practicing). I could hardly speak (vocal cords were paralyzed), but managed to make him understand I
WAS VERY SICK. He told me to call 911(emergency number) and he would meet me at the hospital. He never thought I had had a stroke; he thought I was dehydrated from the vomiting, etc.
Fortunately, the stoke did not affect my cognitive abilities and I was able to croak out my address and the code to open my garage door. The paramedics took me to the hospital. Several funny things happened during that time and while I was in the emergency room (funny now, not so funny then). Ultimately after 3 days of tests, they determined that I had a spontaneous dissection of the transvertebral artery that they think might have been a result of the vertebral artery being crimped when I
had my hair washed the prior week at the beauty shop.
had my hair washed the prior week at the beauty shop.
I guess it's somewhat common for this to happen, but like you I didn't even know that I had a vertebral artery.
Fortunately, it only took about a week to learn to sit up, and
another 4 weeks to be able to walk without a walker. I still have
vertigo when I stand and some nystagmus in my left eye.
Fortunately, it only took about a week to learn to sit up, and
another 4 weeks to be able to walk without a walker. I still have
vertigo when I stand and some nystagmus in my left eye.
The worst thing is that I have something called Central Pain Syndrome - the burning sensation really gets to me. Sometimes when someone touches me, it hurts so bad it brings tears to my eyes. I have tried any number of medicines, but they don't do much good and make me "dopey." So I am trying the "mind over matter" trick. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
I have a lot more I could say about my odyssey - but I'll save that for another time. I just looked back and realized I didn't say anything about myself. I am a 56 year old female - who until this happened was a pretty good health - since the stroke, I have developed Type 2 Diabetes, gained 60 lbs (have lost 21), they found a benign tumor on my liver, and I have gastric reflux. The golden years??????????
Denise Likens
Indian Head Park, Illinois
I have a lot more I could say about my odyssey - but I'll save that for another time. I just looked back and realized I didn't say anything about myself. I am a 56 year old female - who until this happened was a pretty good health - since the stroke, I have developed Type 2 Diabetes, gained 60 lbs (have lost 21), they found a benign tumor on my liver, and I have gastric reflux. The golden years??????????
Denise Likens
Indian Head Park, Illinois
