MRI/MRV 12/31/16

I had an MRI/MRV this morning and it took FOREVER! This one included an “orbital scan” which will be more detailed look at my left optical nerve.  http://blog.scottsontherocks.com/blog/2016/12/28/visual-field-eye-exam-test-122816/  I keep failing the visual field test on the left, which has I say is a disconnect between my brain & hand, I am probably SEEING stuff, just not fast enough to tell my hand to push the button.  [HAHAHA, interface error between chair and keyboard ;-P ]

If I understood all the medical jargon, this MRI also went farther down my neck, into my shoulder and chest area… I think.  [Again, why not done before?]  This neuro doesn’t want to assume [either way] that the clot(s) stop at my jugular, when clearly I’ve been complaining about my left arm & not just my head, since day one.  Yes, “head injury” can cause arm issue but only w/ complete info will we know.

Is it all “in my head?”

Seriously.  I’m OK hearing that some of this is… what’s the word I want? psychological?  I get that, I had 2-3 +..? strokes, they aren’t ssure but not once have I had any “training” on how to live w/ stroke “stuff.”  I had someone come in, a few in the beginning, to make sure I could do stairs, & I look back on my blog now and see some reading I sucked at & telling time I sucked at… and that was it.  Apparently, I was told to play w/ playdoh 😉 but no instructions on… “you’ve had strokes” you should do this or not, now or whatever.  No baselines taken on where I was then so I dunno know if I’ve had any progress or if spellcheck gets most credit & I promise, I CANNOT read. 🙁  if you know me at all then you’ll understand why just typing that sentence brings tears…

so, what is all in my head and what can be re-learned & what… or how? do I deal w/ the rest? or even how do “ya’ll deal with me now?”  I keep being told that “60% me” is better than most average people but I don’t know how to be “60% me”  I think that’s supposed to be a major compliment 

strangers will meet this “new me” and they don’t see most of my issues, until they touch my frozen  arm, or we end up playing “Charades: neither of us know the aanswer ” or I just suddenly grab my head & burst into tears… especially fun if I haven’t had chance to explain yet.  I do have a “notepad” already typed up for when I’m wearing earplugs in loud places & new people try to talk to me “hi I’m wearing earplugs… this is why… please TEXT me now so we can “chat”…” sooo much better than ignoring people or just pointing to my earplugs.

I don’t even know if I AM 60% me? how do you measure “who you were?”  I do know I’ve improved tremendously over where I was after the first few months!  Look at blog!  yay me for having before, during & after blogging 😉

so bear w/ me as “we” navigate w/ the new docs to do some of this “baseline” info.  some of the diagnosis may just be same-old-same-old

I have to give credit to MRI tech this morning cuz she LISTENED when we told her she wasn’t gonna be able to do the IV while I’m in the machine.  Pretty sure she didn’t believe us… at first 😉  She was very patient w/ me an skilled.  I obsolved her of any bruising 😉 took about 10 minutes to convince my veins that THIS WAS GONNA HAPPEN. (I’d been drinking water since 3:30am) and she was successful first stick (not a blood draw so veins collapsing doesn’t occur immediately, as long as they injection dye slow, usually OK)  She was impressed I brought my own earplugs 😉 but even doubleup didn’t stop tears… bummer.  1.5 hrs long is a LONG time

Will keep ya posted

previous MRI images:  http://blog.scottsontherocks.com/blog/2016/02/03/images-from-mri-010516-status-update/