| Paralyzed |
The day started normally enough. It was Saturday and we had a showing of our house, so after doing the regular tidying up, Mark and I headed out and drove aimlessly around the neighbourhood while strangers viewed our home and Nate was in McDonald’s french fry glory with his Grandparents.
All of sudden I was struck with a wicked headache. And then the headache disappeared just as quickly as it came on and was replaced with intense waves of gag-inducing nausea. Mark and I were in the van and I yelled at him to pull over RIGHT THIS SECOND because motion was making the dry heaving and gagging worse. As Mark pulled off to the side of the road, I opened my window and took several deep breathes when suddenly it felt like someone (something?) was gripping the back of my neck. But the grip was coming from deep inside my head.
And then, within a matter of seconds, my vision disappeared and I screamed at Mark that I couldn’t see and then my fingers started to tingle and then the tingle spread into my face and then my fingers involuntarily clenched into a distorted claw-like disfigurement and both sides of my face drooped in a painfully numbing way, much like that of a stroke victim. The next thing I remember was hearing Mark’s panicked voice on the phone with a 9-1-1 operator and my entire body being in incredible pain. By this point, my legs had involuntarily stretched out and were rigidly straight. I was paralyzed.
Unlike the one-sided paralysis of a stroke though, the paralysis overtook my entire body and I was entirely cognizant of my surroundings. I didn’t understand what was happening to me but my vision had returned and I could feel the droopiness in my facial muscles and despite trying, I just couldn’t move or use my body. I kept trying to scream, “Help Me! Help Me!” Over and over again but my entire face, including my tongue, was paralyzed.
I’m not sure how, or when, but for some reason we ended up right outside our house when the EMS response team arrived. I remember hearing Mark scream, “Over here! Hurry! My wife is having a stroke.” I guess the echoes of his distress call were heard across the neighbourhood because soon I had several concerned neighbours peering in the van at my contorted face and oddly twisted and paralyzed body. I felt as equally mortified as I did freaked right the fuck out. I have a body. I have a brain. And I could not make the two of them work together.
The first EMS person to respond to the 9-1-1 call encouraged me to breathe deeply while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Slowly, oh god, ever so slowly, the feeling in my body started to return. If you have ever had a c-section, I can only describe it as the sluggish and odd-feeling process of regaining the feeling in the lower half of your body as the spinal freezing wears off.
After about a half hour, my face returned to normal, and I could move my legs. My right pinky finger was the last part of my body to become ungnarled.
I spent a good 10 hours afterwards unable to steady the trembling shakiness in my body. My legs hurt, like I had the worst Charlie horse in the history of all Charlie horses and I could not hold my hands steady enough to drink water on my own.
The ambulance crew said I had a panic attack, and man oh man, I have had my share of panic attacks before, but never, ever anything like that.
I went to talk to my therapist the next day and he seemed to think otherwise. Panic attacks are typically characterized by a rapidly beating heart, skipped heart beats and an overwhelming feeling of anxiousness and impending doom. Dude, I was having a perfectly enjoyable child-free afternoon with Mark. I can assure you that he does not incite doom and gloom unless he farts and holds my head under the covers. My therapist suggested that I should probably have an MRI and see a Neurologist and ordered a battery of blood work to be done by my family doctor.
My family doctor seemed to also think what happened was something more than a panic attack and had me strip down and wear one of those sartorial nightmare blue paper gowns as she analyzed various parts of my body and my reflexes, which she thought were “brisk.” And by brisk, she meant holy good god this woman was lying down and I tapped her knee and she came like an inch from forcefully kicking me in the head.
Unsatisfied with her findings, she asked me not to leave her care until she could get me an emergency visit with a Neurologist. I called Mark and he bolted from work and an hour and a $90.00 cab ride later, he was holding my hand in the Neurologists office.
And that brings me to today. The episodes of blurred vision and internal squeezing in the back of my neck have happened several times since the full body paralysis episode. Sometimes it’s even accompanied with a bit of tingling in my fingers and it’s absolutely terrifying not knowing what the hell is wrong with me.
I don’t know what is going on, but I am going for an electroencephalogram (EEG) soon and someone is going to mess up my hair and put electrodes all over my scalp and make me look like something right out of a Star Trek episode so that they can analyze my brain.
I know I said this last year, but I think, after this experience, and as the anniversary of Ava’s death approaches it’s worth saying again.
Life is short. Enfold yourself in all its vivid reality, embrace it, feel it, live it.
Because you just never know what tomorrow will bring.
UPDATE: My doctor just called me, and all the blood work came back normal. I have normal blood. And all this time I kinda hoped she would tell me my blood was blue because I would love to live in a castle and have hot men wearing loincloths feed me grapes all day. Instead I'll just have to wait until June for an EEG.Labels: Thinking Out Loud |
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Karla, you are in my thoughts and prayers. Hang in there.
Lauren.
Oh my. I'm so sorry to hear about your terrifying episode, and I hope you have a quick answer to what's going on. That truly is frightening!
Prayers for you and for the doctors to find out what's going on!
Oh my gosh, Karla. How terrifying, and how frustrating for you to not know what (if anything) is wrong.
I had a series of panic attacks last week (and never have before), but they manifested themselves with a racing, pounding heart that made me think I was having a heart attack. It was scary but passed...I've never heard of a panic attack like the one you're describing. I'm happy to hear you're pressing forward and having further testing done. Keep us posted.
Holding you tight in my thought and prayers and praying for the wisdom of your doctors.
~Megan
My thoughts are with you, Karla.
I've had a couple of panic attacks before, too, and what you experienced sounds WAY more extreme. I've had a pounding heart and trouble breathing, but certainly not blindness or paralysis. I'm glad that the doctors are investigating further to find out what's going on.
I don't comment often, but I'm always here. I'll be praying that this is something minor and easy to take care of and that you feel back to normal soon.
My prayers are with you. Please keep us updated.
My prayers are with you and your family.
Karla, I'm thinking of you and hope you have some answers soon.
Oh Karla...
you are indeed in my prayers. i have a blue candle burning right now...
OH HON. I'M THINKING OF YOU. PLEASE KEEP US UPDATED.
OMG. I hope everything is OK Karla. Thinking of you.
Please do keep us posted. I'm worried now.
Jesus Karla. Like you haven't been dealt enough, you know?
Thinking of you. Hoping all is OK.
That is insanely awful. I hope they figure out what the hell is wrong with you soon. So sorry.
I read your blog religiously, but have never posted.
I will be thinking of you often and hoping that you get to the bottom of this quickly, and that you are feeling well very soon.
You are loved by your cyber-community.
Holy shit! That's scary. Hope everything turns out okay.
Just, love. And thoughs. Please rest and let's all hope the dr's know what the heck they are doing!
I will keep you all in my thoughts.
Sending you an extra big hug!
Amanda x
Praying for you, Karla. Right now.
OMG Karla ~ I am praying that things are going to be ok ~ please let us know when you get any news.
Thinking of you and sending love and a big hug XXXXXXX
I just started recently reading and I hope that you will have some answers soon and that everything will be okay. Good luck.
Wow. You are in my thoughts. Good luck and keep us updated.
Yeah, that definitely was not a panic attack. I can't imagine how scary that must have been. I hope all is well and keep us posted!
Be sure to ask your doctor if it was a transient ischemic attack (TIA) aka a "mini-stroke." also, sometimes a stroke, depending on the type, can involve temporary paralysis of the whole body, although usually it is on one side. Good luck with everything, and continue to be proactive.
Oh, dear, I hope it all works out, and soon! How utterly scary for you and for Mark. I'll be thinking of you.
so scary, something like this happened to my sister. she has a history of migraines, the bad kind. Her episode also happened during a happy time, a relaxing holiday (so also not panic) but she was dehydrated from traveling and sun at the time. She did the whole MRI thing and found nothing but for weeks after she felt twinges. On two subsequent occasions under similar occasions (hot tub) she felt it again but not like the 1st time. Now she makes sure that she stays well hydrated at all times and it has been years since any episodes. Try not to panic, sometimes these things turn out fine...
I can't even imagine how scary that must have been. Thinking of you.
And thanks for the reminder. I needed that.
Oh, Karla - I'm thinking of you and your family. I'm sorry you're having to go through this, and hope it turns out to be a weird medical fluke. Good luck, mama.
Praying for whatever it is to be transient and never visit again.
Karla, I'm thinking about you. Hope everything is fine and you will be up and running in no time.
Thinking of you.
Oh, that's so scary. Do you have someone staying with you while Mark is at work? I'll be thinking of you and hoping for the best.
Julia
Hugs. Just Hugs.
Karla,
I had a very similar experience in October and after spending 24 hours in the hospital and having a CAT scan, MRI and several cardiac tests plus constant heart monitoring it was finally decided that I had an "atypical presentation of a migraine". Happened that one time and hasn't happened since. Good luck with all of your testing.
Oh Karla, that is terrifyingly scary. I haven't commented in quite sometime, but I still check in on your blog and it made me sick reading your experience. You've been through to much for one person. Good luck with your testing. My thoughts will be with you.
Thank you everyone, for your words of support and kindness. I am so truly lucky to be surrounded by such awesomeness here.
Love,
me
How scary! I've had my share of panic attacks and they were never that extreme. While I would get the tingling and the feeling of something gripping my neck and sometimes even temporary loss of vision, I never had the paralysis.
This is the second thing in less than a week's time to make me realize I need to live life to the fullest. One of my friend's BIL was one of the cops killed in Pittsburgh over the weekend. He left behind his wife and 2 girls (6 and 3).....the same age as my boys. I'm truly, deeply saddened by it.
I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Please let us know what you find out.
You don't personally know me, but I am in your BLOGHER ADS circle of network. I will pray for you, and will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.
Liza
Liza's Eyeview
A Maui Blog
Praying. Please keep us posted.
JUNE!? Ridiculous!
Yup. Apparently June is a very short wait list for Ontario Wait Times Mandi. Sucky eh?
My gosh! That's scary!
Gotta love our medical system - making you wait 'til June!
Holy cow, Karla! I too have had my share of panic attacks (I've spent a couple of evenings in the ER at AP hospital recently, with what appear to be food allergy reactions, but I suspect are also either caused or fuelled by anxiety)-- but paralysis does seem extreme. Take good care of yourself. I hope you can get to the bottom of this, fast.
it sounds like a seizure to me..
Crazy scary story. Please do keep us posted.
Hey Karla, that's bloody scary stuff.. I had something similiar happen to me about a year and half ago, except without the paralysis.. but with an MRI , bloodwork and numerous other tests... Ang and I are praying for you..
Holy shit, Karla, that sucks. I hope they figure out what it is soon and that you're okay!
We've had some super pretty sunsets these last few days. Let's hope they're just as good in two weeks when I journey back to the park by the river, balloon in tow.
Dear Karla
Im here from youtube after seeing the video of Ava. Im praying for your family and your health.
So Sorry to hear that you were not feeling good Karla. My best to you that you feel alot better. take Girl!!!!
OH SORRY, I MEANT TO SAY... TAKE CARE GIRL! LOL
Karla,
I had the exact same thing and all blood work, and a mountain of nuero tests were normal. I have a condition called complex migraines. When you get a bad headache or migraine you have stroke like symptoms. After the headache is over your symptoms resolve. Its a very scary event. You should definitely try and get that EEG sooner because if your having any kind of seizure or something else it could get worse. Good luck and I'll keep you in my prayers.
I think that you should ask your doctor about MS. Some of the symptoms can appear almost instantly and then resolve a while later.....if caught early some of the sypmptoms can be decreased.
A mi amigo el estres le da dolor de cabeza, hormigueo en los brazos y en la nuca, temblores y perdida de vision temporal. Al cabo de unas horas se le pasa todo poco a poco. Le han hecho TAC, EGG y radiografia y todo esta normal. ¿Puede ser que vender la casa, con los preparativos que tiene esta situacion, haya provocado realmente una gran migraña? Espero que asi sea. Estas en mis oraciones.
My friend gets stress headaches, tingling in arms and neck, tremors, and temporary loss of vision. After a few hours he spends a little bit. We have TAC, ETT and x-rays and everything is normal. Could it be to sell the house, with preparations that have this situation has caused a really big migraine? I hope so. You are in my prayers.
Karla-
This probably won't comfort you like I mean it too, but this is literally the second story this week I've read of a friend having the exact same experience. Her doctors diagnosed migraine, as some of the others have said. I can't imagine the thoughts that must have gone through your mind...and I can't believe you have to wait until june for the eeg. Thinking and praying for you. Keep us posted.
PLEASE POST YOUR UPDATES..THIS SOUNDS LIKE WHAT MY MOM HAS BEEN GOING THROUGH AND ITS VERY SCARY TO WATCH AND SEE. SHE HAS HAD ALL TEST DONE FROM MRI,CAT SCAN EEG ETC.., THEY HAVE CHALKED IT UP TO ANXCIETY. SHE GOES VERY STIFF WHEN SHE IS HAVING AN ATTACK JUST LIKE YOU SAID. I THINK ITS MORE THOUGH. STILL DOING RESERCH AND TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING OUT FOR MY MOM.I FEEL SO BAD FOR HER AND ITS AFFECTING HER LIFE AND HER WANTING TO GO ANYWHERE ANYMORE. THANKS FOR POSTING. STORIES LIKE THIS MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR NOT ALONE.MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU AND I HOPE YOU FIND SOMETHING OUT SOON.
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Owen's mummy : April 06, 2009 
