Scary day. Ended up at the hospital

[caefi]

Earlier today my vision went wonky and I lost peripheral vision in my right eye. While that was still going on my hand went completely numb and up to around my elbow was numb-ish. As my hand was normalizing, my face started feeling numb, on the right side only. (You know that feeling after you've had the wind whip at your face for a long, fast, windy drive? that's what it felt like.) Then the INSIDE of my mouth went numb (??????). My brain got really fuzzy and I couldn't really articulate, then I couldn't remember things that I SHOULD be able to remember (like my kids NAMES! Nurse asked me if it was that I could remember or I couldn't say it and it was both, when I finally remembered I couldn't call their name).

They monitored me for over an hour. Baby is fine. My blood pressure falls with the low end of normal, they said. I monitor BP at home and it stays right around 100/80. The three times they took it it was 112/54, 114/73 and 112/43.

Orders are to lay down, rest, drink tons of water and go into the hospital if ANYTHING weird happens again. If I go back they want to do a CT-scan, which they say puts the baby at risk.

I vote that this was a one-time freaky thing that never happens again.

I'm still weepy over this entire thing.

[sunshadow]

I hope everything turns out to be just fine. I lost most of my vision once for about an hour. It was a stress reaction to my daughter getting her first vaccinations. That alone was so scary to me. I couldn't imagine going through what you experienced!

[hakeber]

Hi caefi,

that must have been so scary! I can't imagine...

Now...I don't mean to scare you, but those are EXACTLY the same symptoms my brother had when he was diagnosed with MS, and it sounds pretty much like every MS patient's symptoms I have ever read about since.

Now, it may be the baby simply was putting pressure on your spinal cord, wearing on or pushing against the meylin around your nervous system and it caused a funky reaction, I hope that's all it was...but these symptoms can occur once or twice and then lay dormant for YEARS, DECADES even, leaving someone completely unaware of what they are living with, and actually with treatment and proper nutritional care, MS patients can add decades to their life expectancy, which might mean the difference between the year they find the cure, and the year they don't.

Hopefully you won't have another episode like that while still pregnant, but I really think even if you don't it wouldn't be a bad idea to ask for the tests and CT scan ASAP POST baby, especially since having a baby growing in you, suckling at your natural resources could be a trigger that set off the first symptoms, and if you are planning to nurse, as I assume you are, it could be a further drain on your system which if you DO have MS or another Myelin related illness, you may not be able to afford.

In the meantime, until you can have the tests done to know what it was that happened, try to make sure you are getting plenty of good fats which are good for you and baby anyway, and steer clear of synthetic vitamins. Things that I recall being a part of my brother's diet are olive oil, and honey on the comb. He was also encouraged to give up junk food, refined sugars and flours and glutten, cold turkey.

This must just be so scary to not know and not be able to know without hurting the baby. I am sorry you had to go through that today. I will keep my fingers crossed and my positive energy flowing towards you that this was all just nothing, and everything will be fine.

:

[lalaland42]

I vote one-time scary thing too.

[Kidzaplenty]

I hope you find answers soon. I would not be able to live without finding one, myself.

[RoseRed]

I know its not quite the same but my thumbs are numb most of the time, its just a pinched nerve but it does worry me from tim eto time



I hope it doesn't happen again! s

[nummies]

I kept having that happen to me too! Turns out the babies were sitting on a nerve. One trip to the chiropractor and I haven't had it since.

[remijo]

Not much to add, just wanted to give a hug.

[studentmomma]

So sorry this happened. Hope you get some answers. Nothing else but

[caefi]

I went back to the hospital at the very end of the night on Saturday with the same things going on. Still nothing. They gave me a referral to a neuro I'm supposed to call tomorrow (and hope they don't take 'bank holidays'). I was down all day today with a horrible headache.

[themamamama]

Scary. Let us know what the neuro says, okay? I'll be thinking of you.

[hakeber]

I'm not allowed to curse on MDC, but I am cursing in my head right now...that really (*&%*(ing sucks. That was not what I was hoping to read when I saw your name back on the thread.



I will be sending you positive, clear headed, strong nervous system vibes all day tomorrow...I hope there is someone who can see you, and Columbus day isn't big on their list of days to celebrate.

It mst be so awful to not have answers when facing those symptoms, and if the doctors at your ER were anything like they were with my brother when he faced his first onset, and anything like they were with my mom when she experienced her first symptoms of her illness which started with total lower body paralysis...they probably made you feel like it was all in your head. I am so sorry you are going through this...like being pregnant isn't scary enough.

Hope you get it sorted soon!

[MrsAngelic]

With really bad migraines I get similar symptoms: headache, nausea and/or vomiting, can't remember or speak certain words, people's faces just don't look right (i.e. eyes or nose seem like they should be in a different place...., one arm and sometimes side of face goes numb, auras, light or noise makes it worse but sometimes softer music helps. I have never found a pain medication, even migraine specific or caffeine pills they prescribe, that even touch the pain and when I take medication it seems to make it last longer. When I just lock myself in a dark room it usually dissipates within a day or day and a half. Thankfully, this only happens once or twice a year, usually right after major stress. Hope your problem ends up being something small and goes away completely! Take care.

[NCMomworld]

This has happened to me with every pregnancy. My diagnosis is "atypical migraine." With my first baby they sent me to a neurologist for testing - everything was just fine. The first time was so scary. I was studying for an exam and all of a sudden I couldn't read. I could see the words, but they had no meaning. I thought I was having a stroke or something! Then the numbness kicked in. *Way* later I did get a headache, but I haven't every time. I hope you are feeling better and don't get a repeat of this experience!

[CrunchyMamaToBe]

How scary! I am glad the baby is OK and I hope you are feeling better.

[stealthmode]

Good luck to you mama. Let us know how things turn out. That is very scary.

[jillmamma]

You are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope you can figure out what is going on.

[MrsAngelic]

Originally Posted by NCMomworld

I was studying for an exam and all of a sudden I couldn't read. I could see the words, but they had no meaning. I thought I was having a stroke or something!

I also remember the first time being scary. I was 12 and typing a report in class when I couldn't "see" the letters on the keyboard. Visually they were there but a little blurry and my mind couldn't make sense of them. I was convinced it was because I needed my glasses but halfway across the gym to get them I got so nauseous I had to sit down and wait for help. Mouth and hand went numb. Someone took me to the nurse's office and then the headache kicked in. Dad took me to the hospital where they shined bright lights in my eyes - ouch!- and did some sort of brain scan that came out fine. Diagnosed as migraine.

Wondering if it's mainly a hormonal thing in women? Since pregnancy is supposed to make them more frequent and well for me anyway it started with puberty.

[MrsAngelic]

Originally Posted by caefi

They gave me a referral to a neuro I'm supposed to call tomorrow

Were you able to get an appointment?

[Gray's Mommy]

I hope things get better soon! Keep us updated when you can.