Just found out I’ve had a silent mini stroke!

MRI has been ordered as to how long it will take for that to be scheduled is anyone's guess. You are so right; we know our own bodies and wish doctors would just listen to us more often. Brain scan was normal, so no neurologist is needed. Doctor did discuss with me ways in which I can possibly avoid having another one, losing weight which I am already doing, drinking more water which I already drink 6-8 glasses a day, exercise at least 30 minute a day which I have just signed up for chair yoga classes, and take aspirin which I have been doing for the last 10 years. Don't know what else I can do, as far as other exercise, I have bone on bone in my ankle preventing me from doing much walking. I will do everything I can to keep this from happening again.

I complained to my primary care doctor for a year about all my symptoms. Thru research my focus was on Long COVID, which had as many unknowns as CSVD. Finally when my doctor really couldn’t find anything I was referred to Mayo Rochester Care team, went thru a team of specialists head to toe. I should say toe to head, as the Neurologist was last and we’re it was diagnosed as CSVD. I’m not better just know what I’m dealing with, brain fog, balance, achy all the time, memory issues, speaking issues, everything related to CSVD. Hope you get answers soon.

Sorry you have been going through all of that, it is the unknown that is the worst as you imagine all sorts of things wrong, I also have balance issues at times but I assume that comes with age as I am 78. Pray you can get some help and relief.

Thank you for the reply. I have an appt with my dr this afternoon. Hopefully he can give me some idea of what is going on. A couple months ago, the left side of my face and arms went numb. That lasted about 20 minutes, was miles away from any dr. so didn't go to one. I have a constant pressure in my head which I have gotten no answers to. I sometimes wonder about ER doctors. When I went in, there was only on other person in ER and it took the dr an hour and a half to come into my room and suggested doing a CT which came back normal. After being in the ER for 4 hours she wanted me to stay overnight to have an MRI in the morning. When I told her I didn't want to stay and asked if the MRI could be schedules and I could come back in the morning since she didn't think it was an emergency. She became very offended and said she couldn't do that and my regular dr. would have to. I had another experience with staying in that hospital over night for more tests, never had one nurse come into my room all night so I thought why bother to stay again. I am doing well after my ablation and watchman. I also have a prolapsed mitro valve that is giving me problems now. I get tired walking from on room to another and have a fast heartbeat. I have a kardia mobile and keep track of my rate which put it at 108 bpm. I'm sure you understand how frustrating it is when you don't get any answers. I wish you well.

@lizjohn
Did you have your MRI? Did you talk to your cardiologist or a neurologist? Any determination on what caused your visual disturbance and your numbness a couple months before that?

I did talk with my cardiologist, and he confirmed that I did not have a stroke at all from the MRI. I asked him about rather he could have been caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure, and he said that was highly likely. I suggested I take my blood pressure meds at night instead of in the morning. So far I haven't had any more trouble.

I had complete vision loss in left eye , went black for just under five minutes start to finish, 2am in morning. I walked into bathroom again just to make sure what I was experiencing! It was scary for sure. No pain, did see some bursts of light when my vision returned. I went back to bed, but in morning over coffee, I did the google search and everything told me ‘go to ER immediately!’. It was a Saturday so I did. They kept me on temporary hold overnight, and ran every possible test, told me it looked like a TIA.
They didn’t find anything, except I do have some moderate plaque in a couple arteries in my neck.
They told me to line up all my specialists starting Monday and I did, thank goodness I already was a patient or I would have been in trouble, as we have a shortage of doctors in my area.
I first saw my ophthalmologist (all clear, nothing). She wrote amourosis fugax /TIA. Sorry not sure of spelling.
Then my cardiologist, my primary, my neurologist.
My cardiologist set me up for a 30 day holter and a TEE test, and said most likely I have AFib, even though I had never noticed any symptoms. He says women may have different symptoms, not notice the fibrillation.
It turns out I do have AFib and they think, like others here have said, a small blood clot flew into my eye, and I was lucky it left no trace. I’m now on meds for this, and hoping I never have a stroke. The thought of a stroke is slightly terrifying! My friend was left paralyzed in a nursing home after hers.
Just a comment about the statin drug the hospital put me on. After two months taking it, I came in for a consult about the holter test to my cardio physiologist, told him I suffered from extreme fatigue since I had been in the hospital, could the meds I was taking cause this? Yes, he said stop it for a couple days and see if you feel better. It was the statin. I did not realize it could do that. I will pay more attention to the literature on my prescription meds from now on! He suggested I take a half pill, but I think I may try to watch my diet instead. I hope this helps someone else, your posts have certainly helped me!

Thank you, sorry you went through that. It is so frustrating when you know something is wrong but can't find any cause of it. My daughter was talking to friends of hers who are nurses and she explained what I experience, they all said it sounded like a sudden drop in blood pressure. I just had an appt. with my cardiologist who said that they were most likely right and suggested I start taking my blood pressure meds at night. I recently had surgery for AFib, both and ablation and watchman.
I am always amazed that nurses can tell you what doctors can't. Sometimes I think doctors don't take women seriously. I have been experiencing fatigue for a long time before the AFib was found. It actually took my grandson who is an athletic trainer to tell me what I had, after that I mentioned it to my doctor, and he came to the conclusion after tests that is exactly what I had.