4mom

Thanks so much for your comments. It truly feels so good to be able to share my feelings with others that don't have a emotional stake in how I feel. I can't hurt your feelings I guess is what I am trying to say. I don't want to come out as a whiner but it feels good to get it off my chest. I have good friends but I don't always like to share this with them. I don't want it always to be about me and always talk about the same things with them. You guys on this site truly understand what me and my family are going through and it helps knowing that there are others out there. At times this feels so isolating. It was really bad in the begining before I found this site because there are no support groups around here. So thanks again.

Rut

Hello,

I am glad your treatment is working for you. I looked in to it for my mom and I got scared off. I give you credit for your bravery.

My mom stroked at 55. We went to the ER and she was sent home after a catscan with a migraine. She could barely walk. Hours later we returned to the ER and were told she had a minor stroke. They said the only treatment was aspirin. They admitted her and put her on the regular floor. Her Dr. said she would be fine she would need a few days in the hospital and a few weeks in rehab. As the hours went on she lost the abilty to swallow and breathe on her own. When the nuerologist decided to come see her for the first time after his office closed he called us in a room and looked at us and said she is going to die as he shrugged his shoulders. Like no big deal. We had her transferred to another hospital. The new Dr. had her started on a blood thinner before they would let them fly her and he looked at the MRI and said there is no way it could have been read as minor. She had a brain stem stroke. We never heard of TPA or Heparin or anything til she got to the new hospital.

Everyone told us we should contact a lawyer. We were so mad that there was something that could have helped her and they didn't use it or even discuss it as a option. Now she is quadraplegic and unable to do anything for herself. Our lawyer got all of her medical records and had some doctors review them and it came down to us having to prove that had they given her the shot it without a doubt would have made a difference. He said that nuerologists are divided on the drug and that we could have a handful of ones to say yes and they would have 10 that would say no. IT didn't matter that we were misinformed about her stroke would it have changed the treatment that they did and the answers were No. Each hospital has a set of standards that Doctors have to follow and if they meet those standards then there is no negligence. It just doesn't seem fair. If we would have known how severe her stroke was we would have had her moved right away when she was still able to walk and talk. We blamed ourselves for a long time. If only we would have taken her to another hospital would she be where she is.

Good luck to you and I think you are right if you can open thier eyes and make them treat stroke patients better or make them more knowledgeable then it is worth it. My mom was given the shot eventually way past the window of time they use it for but she was loked in and the Dr. was willing to try anything. Her prognosis was poor. Maybe that is what brought her back to us. She has little movement now and on some days can speak some. Who knows if they had given it to her right away maybe she wouldn't be stuck in a bed.

Ruth