Being on the patient side for once...sorta

[Nunavut Pants]

Huzzah! Glad to hear it. Now, here's hoping for the speediest and easiest of recoveries.

[Valentinian]

Yaaaaaaaay~! That’s awesome!

[jedimaster91]

HE'S COMING HOME!!! He'll be released from inpatient rehab on Wednesday. Still have some outpatient rehab to get back to "normal" but at least he'll be home.

[Food Lady]

I didn't know that could be a cause. I'm glad he's ok and it's treatable.

[jedimaster91]

Finally got moved to rehab today. They'll do an assessment tomorrow to see how long he'll need to be there. Hopefully not long. He's doing really well considering. Some balance issues and loss of motor skills in his affected hand, but they get slightly better with every PT/OT session.

An MRI of his neck found the cause of the stroke: he's got a congenital narrowing of one of the vertebral arteries. The way his doctor explained it to him was instead of an 8-lane highway taking blood to the brain, he has a bike trail on that side. Thinking of it that way, it's a miracle he didn't have issues with it before now. Still no idea what the tipping point was, though. Stenting it isn't really an option since it's the entire artery that's narrow, not just a specific spot. So the plan is blood thinners and cholesterol meds to prevent any further clots from forming, and periodic imaging to make sure it's behaving itself.

[greek_jester]

Update: he should be moving to rehab later today or tomorrow.

That's excellent news! Fingers crossed that his rehab goes well.

[Pixelated]

Wishing him a quick and full recovery.

[jedimaster91]

Update: he should be moving to rehab later today or tomorrow. We're just waiting on the insurance paperwork to go through.

[Food Lady]

I'm so glad he survived that! Yes, don't ignore the symptoms unless you know that they are attributed to something else.

[morgana]

I'm so glad everything worked out so well! Offer him a hug and good wishes from this random internet redhead.

[Mental_Mouse]

Whew! Rapid reaction for the win! Best of luck on the recovery!

[csquared]

Prayers for a speedy recovery.

[Valentinian]

Phew! Best wishes for fast and complete recovery 💕

[jedimaster91]

Let me tell you a little bit about Hubz. Early 40s, fairly fit (not the best diet, but not obese at all), blood pressure and cholesterol normal, never smoked, never drank, no illicit drugs (we're pretty boring in that regard), no significant family medical history to speak of. So yesterday I was out taking an exercise class when Hubz called me.

Hubz: I need you to come home. The side of my face is going numb.

Me: *already thinking worst case scenario* I'm on my way

I get in the car--mind you I'm already a good 30 minutes away and at the tail end of rush hour--and barely get out of the parking lot before my phone rings again.

Hubz: My arm is moving and I'm not doing it.

Me: *worst case scenario confirmed* Hang up with me and call 911. Now. I'll call MamaJedi to come get Minion.

MamaJedi, bless her, dropped everything to make her own 30 minute trip to come get our three year old so I could follow the ambulance. EMS beat me by 2 minutes and MamaJedi by 5 (I may have driven *slightly* over the speed limit). Hubz had gone upstairs to our bedroom thinking he was just having a dizzy spell, so they had a little trouble getting him down and into the ambulance. 10 minutes after that he was in CT getting a head scan. 15ish minutes after that, he was getting TPA (clot busting drug).

Over the next hour long infusion, he improved dramatically. So while the initial CT scan didn't show a bleed or blockage, the fact that TPA was working told us what we needed to know. An MRI later confirmed a blockage in his medulla (at the base of the brain). Today he still has numbness and weakness on his affected side, but continues to improve with every neuro check. Physical and Occupational therapy should see him tomorrow to see what kind of rehab he needs.

I have nothing but great things to say about the staff at this hospital. The ER staff was very calm, efficient and professional, keeping us informed every step of the way. His nurses in the ICU have been equally wonderful. Family and friends have been a great support system and I know our son is in good hands so I can concentrate on my husband. Please, PLEASE, y'all, don't ignore stroke symptoms. It can happen to anyone. Err on the side of paranoia and get checked out.

Tl;dr: my young-ish, healthy husband had a rare kind of stroke, we caught it and got treatment quickly and he should recover after some rehab.