Journal entry by Linda Beltz —
Today we met with the neurologist for a follow up on the vision issues (double vision, squiggly lines, blobs) that Mom has been having more frequently. She was not concerned that they were due to a new stroke, seizures or from any blockage in her neck. She thinks they are more likely a result of the stroke in the occipital lobe in late 2022, now presenting as a migraine type aura without a headache as visual hallucinations are a common type of side effect from this type of stroke. She did say if it continues to worsen or is really bothersome, they could have her see a neuro-ophthalmologist for further testing. She also suggested to follow up with her regular eye doctor to see if there have been any changes to her eyes since her last exam in July and to talk about dry eye, as that can cause visual disturbances as well. We also talked about other changes that can come from these types of strokes relating to memory and cognition and what to watch for.
Her INR was 1.8 last Friday and hemoglobin was up to 9.7! She is still lagging in energy, but hopefully with her hemoglobin moving up and her moving around some more, that will subside soon. She was notified that her long-time cardiologist is no longer at the clinic and has an appointment with a new cardiologist on 5/7 that I will tag along to and probably discuss if the Watchman is right for her. She sees her primary doctor on 5/6, so they will probably recheck INR and hemoglobin then.
Thank you all for checking in on her and all the prayers. Love and hugs to all of you!
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