Please Exit the Ride to Your Left...

...and remember to take all of your belongings with you. Yes, the ride is over! A visit with my N-O (Neuro-Ophthalmologist) yesterday brought us the medical answers we had been searching for - I had a stroke. There is lots of medical speak in the Radiologist's report from my CTA but what it breaks down to is that I have a Dissection in my ICA, which is my Internal Carotid Artery. The ICA is in your brain and not your neck. My N-O explained it to the strokes for idiots students yesterday as the two parts of my vessel separated and caused a 50 to 60% blockage in my ICA. That in turn caused some "turbulence" in my blood flow resulting in the stroke to my optic nerve. It is pretty rare and I am very blessed that the stroke went to my optic nerve and NOT to my brain. The N-O explained that if the stroke had gone to my brain there most likely would have been much more drastic results. So I never thought I would be thankful for my vision loss, but today I am extremely grateful. I still have the blockage so we are on alert for any stroke symptoms but the N-O believes that the ICA will heal itself in time and I will be able to ride roller coasters again before too long.

Thank you God for bringing the answers to my questions and showing the doctor what the cause of my problem was. Thank you for letting me know that I am not going to go blind and that I will still be able to drive, see my children's faces, see my husband's face, see my grand children's faces, scrapbook, put on makeup, do my hair and all of the other silly things that came to my mind over the past couple of days. Thank you for protecting my brain during my stroke and I ask protection over my ICA until it has completely healed. AMEN!