I have to admit that it was a shock to hear that Luke passed away. At 52, he was way too young. When I read that his stroke was from an "ischemic cerebrovascular accident" it terrified me even more. A stroke is when clot blocks a blood vessel and prevents oxygen and blood from reaching the brain. As a stroke survivor, we always worry about another potential clot. My stroke was a T.I.A - Transient Ischemic Attack, also known as a mini stroke. TIA's may be a sign of a full blown stroke ahead. As the single mother of a young daughter, this freaks me out even more.
Unfortunately, many people are not aware of the symptoms of a STROKE as they are of a Heart Attack. I will admit, prior to my stroke, I had no idea what the signs and symptoms were. I remember that day vividly back in May 2007. Even as my colleague was driving me to the hospital we were joking around and I had no idea what was happening. While in the hospital after running many tests they also found a hole in my heart called a PFO - Patent Foramen Ovale. A PFO is a hole between the left and right upper champers of the heart. We all have this "hole" in uterus and generally it closes naturally after we are born.
In my case, we think my TIA was caused by the high dose of birth control I was put on while going through IVF- InVitro Fertilization. Did you know there are about 274 people that die of clots every year? I encourage you all to recognize the signs and symptoms of a blood clot. Please do yourself and your loved ones a favor and learn all about it at Stop The Clot .
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