This is my post for #freewriters 2654 prompt safety first hosted by @mariannewest
Since 2019, I have been seeing doctors because when my head is bent down or I look to the right, I get a tingling feeling on the left side of my face. The feeling then goes down my left arm to the tips of my fingers, and my entire arm goes dead. My legs are now feeling funny, and I know I am going to fall, but I can not stop myself from falling.
After getting too many tests without answers I quit seeing doctors, but when I needed surgery on my hand, the hand doctor would not operate without the cardiologist seeing me and okaying me to stop taking blood thinners. Now the cardiologist will not ok the hand surgery until I see a vascular surgeon. Here I go again.
I have now found that when I first feel the tingling on the left side of my face, all I need to do is move my head, and it stops like nothing was wrong. By doing that, I have not fallen in over a year.
A couple of weeks ago I saw the cardiologist and he could still hear the whoozing sound on the right side of my neck. Back in July he heard this and wanted me to see a vascular surgeon. I told him about how I called them a couple of days after I saw him last time and they told me they never received the referral. I called his office and they told me they sent it. From July until today, I have been trying to contact the vascular surgeon's office, one time I was able to leave a message the other times it rang busy.
He was upset that I had not seen the doctor he wanted me to see and sent another referral. This was Jan 31 and I have been calling them almost every day and today I got through. They told me they have not received the referral, I called my Dr office and they told me they sent it the day I saw him but they will send it again. Now I can not get through to the vascular surgeon's office. I wonder about seeing someone who is that busy.
I know the cardiologist was only thinking of my safety first and my feelings second when he asked if I was still driving and I said not much, but my sister spoke up and said I drive. The doctor does not want me driving, he said I can have a stroke the next time this happens and I should not be driving. I pleaded with him to not put that on my record because if he does, the state of Fl will take my license and I think it will be hard to get it back.
Nowadays you can read about your test results before you see a doctor for them. The only problem with this is they speak some other form of language. Words I have never seen or know the meaning of.
I had an ultrasound done on my neck and this is what it says
IMPRESSION:
MILD ELEVATION OF THE RIGHT INTERNAL CAROTID ARTERY DISTALLY WHICH MAY BE
RELATED TO TORTUOSITY. NO SIGNIFICANT PLAQUE FORMATION.
ANTEGRADE VERTEBRAL ARTERY FLOW
MILDLY ELEVATED SUBCLAVIAN VELOCITY WHICH COULD REFLECT MILD TO MODERATE
SUBCLAVIAN STENOSIS
CTA COULD FURTHER INVESTIGATE
I looked up the meaning of tortuosity on google.
Tortuosity of the internal carotid arteries (ICA) is a vascular abnormality where the arteries are elongated or kinked. It can be seen on imaging as a coiling, looping, or kinking
If there is a kink and I bend my head further by having my head down or turned on that side, I wonder if doing that completely closes off the kink and stops the blood flow. If I ever get in to see this doctor, I will tell him my theory.
photo is mine