A few months ago my GP referred me to hospital for a hearing check. The consultant referred me for an MRI scan as he told me it was standard procedure for new patients.
The scan indicated that apart from age related deafness there was no problem with my hearing. However he pointed out that some white matter had shown up on the scan. The consultant copied the results to my GP and advised me to discuss this with my GP.
I had to see my GP on another health issue, so I asked had he read the scan report. He took a look at it and declared it was nothing to worry about. A few months later I saw a different GP about another problem and I asked him about the scan report and he also declared it to be of no concern.
A few days ago, I was reading my online health conditions on the NHS app and was shocked to read âcerebral infarctionâ on my report, and it was dated the day I saw the first GP. I wasnât too sure what this was, but Dr Google informed me that it was a stroke.
Iâm baffled now, as I have no knowledge of having a stroke, certainly never received any hospital treatment or medication.
Yesterday I had a pre op assessment for minor surgery, and I discussed this with the nurse who told me that if it said cerebral infarction, then it was definitely a stroke. She then advised me that my pre op assessment would probably be rejected by the anaesthetist because of the âstrokeâ.
Obviously I need to discuss this with my GP if and when I can get appointment!
But seriously could I really have had a stroke and not known about it? Does the white matter in itself suggest I have had a stroke sometimes in the past?
People can suffer a stroke & not know about it often putting any possible symptoms down to something else. Perhaps you felt dizzy & thought you had a virus or similar.
I would definitely be asking more questions of the GP & also be asking them to refer you to the stroke clinic. I would think you shoukd be prescribed some meds even if it happened a long while ago. White matter in itself doesnât necessarily mean a stroke but the scan would have been reported by a specialist & it would be them that specified what the white matter was I would think.
The consultant doing your op should have access to your medical records & would see the scan report that shows the stroke. People do have surgery after a stroke but sometimes have to wait a bit longer. They will weigh up risks vs benefits.
Definitely make an appointment with your GP & ask lots of questions.
@Geoff47 So many people have strokes an are unaware. GPâs put them as minor ones, but your GP was completely unhelpful to you and withheld information, which will now impart on your forthcoming surgery. I wish you well for the future Good luck
Aye, you can have a stroke and not know. My partner had one seven years ago and only found out about it this year. These are sometimes called Silent Strokes as @Pando mentioned, and there are studies that reveal that some of our aging related symptoms might be attributed to these silent strokes. They only are discovered if someone has a brain scan, and letâs face it, our annual GP check-up rarely includes one of these, so we never know.
Welcome to the community, Iâm sorry to hear about whatâs happened to you. Silent strokes do happen, as some of our members have said. Itâs important that you speak with your GP to get more answers to this and a referral to the stroke clinic.
I hope that youâll find this community helpful as you navigate through this time. If you need anything whilst youâre using the Online Community, please donât hesitate to tag me using the @ symbol and my username.
Good luck 