Silent stroke- i feel like a selfish fraud

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Hello everybody.

I have just joined the group and wondered how this works. Long story short I feel a bit like a fraud.

I had an MRI based around neck strain and headaches caused by trapped nerves due to an accident from my youth paying its dividends now im in my mid 50’s.

For some reason this included a brain scan.

The spinal specialist spotted what i can only describe as a tiny white dot on one side of my brain he randomly said “looks like youve had a stroke”. Nothing much more said about it so he discharged me to physio for my Neck and wrote to my GP. Now I have been diagnosed (by him and my local Doctor) as having suffered a “silent” stroke.

I have no symptoms so this could have been at any time in my life but they have now pushed me onto 5mg ramipril blood pressure, 80mg Statins and clopidogrel blood thinners to follow.

I appreciate that this is all preventive measure to stop a reoccurrence but if we have no way of assessing when it happened. (Or in my oponion, that this is definitely stroke damage) im somewhat frustrated.

It sounds so selfish as I read many of you suffer terribly and are unwell but I feel fairly fine and wont know if the light headaches are because of Neck problems until that’s fixed. Now my travel insurances, diet and social life are in tatters. God forbid I’m allowed any form of holiday or enjoy a light social drink with friends, glass of wine with a meal etc.

Very early days (or not as the case maybe) so all sorts of emotions and frustrations.

Any other silent stroke sufferers out there.
How did you confirm your diagnosis and move on with any form of freedoms around food and alcohol etc. Can i have a couple of less restrictive days a month if on holiday etc? (Selfish question I know)

Wishing you all the best for hopefully a long future.

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So I had a not very silent stroke 7 months ago. I’m 33 and am not prepared to spend the rest of my life being held back.
I still enjoy red wine with dinner, pints with mates etc. all in moderation. You will too. I’ve also been on holiday to Florida, Mexico, Amsterdam, etc

I would say take the meds as it may prevent a future not silent stroke and you may not be so lucky that time. And go about your life being more cautious but not held back.

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Thanks Matt

Very much appreciated.

Of course i’m not going to be stupid about this and will take it very very easy, change diet and get in better shape.

The condition is what it is.

Its the local Doctor pushing me into a 1 medication trail fits all thats annoyed me.

This thing could easily have been with me years and potentially very minor so to prescribe tablets that can leave my internal organs in bits (unless I live on salads and water) is not helpful.

Its only been a week since discovery so at some point i will apparently meet a UK stroke specialist who I am hoping will look at the scan specifically to give me a more bespoke diagnosis and plan.

Stay well my friend.

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Sadly the ‘one shoe fits all’ approach to stroke management is fairly common. Mine was cryptogenic (so no identified cause). Good chance that since it’s potentially years old, they will mark it down as one of those things.
Hope you get answers. Good luck

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Hi @Goldings

Welcome to the community, I’m sorry to hear about your silent stroke.

I would definitely suggest writing down any questions you may have about lifestyle and what you’d like to be doing so you can discuss this with your stroke consultant. There are lots of stroke survivors on here who are living full lives after their strokes so don’t be discouraged.

Wishing you well with your journey and I’m sure some others will be along to offer support and advice soon. If you need anything whilst you’re using the Online Community, please don’t hesitate to tag me using the @ symbol and my username.

Anna

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Hello @Goldings - Welcome to the community.

I note anything I might have wanted to say in response to your note has already been covered by yourself and/or @matt_d13 .

For that reason, I will say no more other than wish you all the best and suggest you prepare for your session with the UK Stroke expert you will likely see at some point.

Live your life as you choose to live it. Life is for Living and Living is Free :slight_smile:

Namaste|
:pray:

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@Goldings Hi & welcome to the community. Firstly I would say please don’t feel a fraud. A silent stroke is still a stroke.

The meds you have been given are a standard prescription postvstroke with the exception of ramipril. I assume that has been prescribed as your blood pressure is a little raised?

Hopefully you will get an appointment with a stroke consultant at some point. If you haven’t been referred ask your GP to make that referral.

Yes, after a stroke we should be mindful of diet, alcohol consumption, exercise etc but not to the point where you feel it is ruining your life.

You will still be able to get travel insurance and I can’t see any reason why you shouldn’t travel (unless you have bern specifically told not to). I have travelled abroad a few times since my stroke.

I try & eat healthier (we all should anyway even if we haven’t had a stroke) but I don’t deprive myself. If I want a cake or ice cream I have it. Life is too short & you don’t have to reserve it for holidays.

Best wishes

Ann

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Hi @Goldings and welcome to the forum.

So, because you’ve only just had the MRI, this silent stroke could have happened many years ago, or it could have happened a couple weeks before you had the MRI.

It could have happened when the headaches started, the headaches could also be the result of a stroke.

But that’s why they’re giving these medications. Because they can’t tell when it happened, they have to assume it’s recent and there’s every risk of another happening.

Many strokes have been caused by neck manipulations. You have neck issues.

And you don’t know if your light headaches are a result of your neck issue or the silent stroke, that’s just an assumption. I have a constant light headache as a result of my stroke and I’m 4yrs post stroke. How recent are your headaches?

The thing is, you’ve had a stroke, and certainly if it was very recent, then you or the doctors don’t even know if/when there’s going to be another one. And the next one could be a much bigger one, leaving you severely disabled, you could even die.

That silent stroke is a warning. Think of a volcano, they can rumble on for many many years before they finally erupt. You are now over 50, have already had a stroke, no matter how minor or trivial you might consider it to be. That fact remains, you are now a candidate for another one!

Every medical surgery works to budget; in this current economic climate and with the state of the NHS at the moment, they can’t afford to be prescribing medications like they were smarties. And they are not giving them out for the good of their own health. They’re giving them to you for a very good reason, your health, your life!

That’s a little melodramatic; there are many on here, including myself, who are eating well, enjoying a full social life, traveling abroad, driving and basically living life to the full…and more disabled than you or I. You are just in shock at the moment after hearing such news. But once you calm down and start rationalising again, you’ll breath a great sigh of relief to know that it’s been caught in time to do something positive about it with nothing more than a few lifestyle changes, and taking your medications :people_hugging:

Lorraine

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Many thanks for your kind words of support Lorraine.

I am sure that once I have spoken to a stroke specialist rather than a locum GP I will feel a little more under control.

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Thanks for your support Ann.

Its very early days and paranoia will make it seem like everything is related (particularly the neck issue)

I will give it a few days and chase up the GP to see what exactly is going on.

Ive been pretty much cut loose with a box of pills and nothing else so far from the GP

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That sounds about standard sadly. But go back and ask lots of questions. Make aure you understand why you’re taking the meds…they are to help prevent another stroke that could be worse. However, if you find out it was many years ago they may be happy to rethink the meds.

As Emeraldeyes has said the neck issue could be related or be completely coincidental.

Best wishes

Ann

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