My dad had a mini stroke just before Thanksgiving (which presented itself with one eye losing sight completely for several seconds) and has had headaches 24 hours every day. Not knowing what was happening at the time, in retrospect we were extremely blessed with great healthcare providers that have helped navigate all of this well and in a timely manner.
It turns out that he has a thrombus (blood clot) in his aortic arch that nearly fully clogged his vessel. (Note: His cancer in 2018 was ALSO an almost complete blockage of his colon as well. Both close calls!) It is highly likely that a piece of that clot broke off and caused the mini-stroke (TIA - Transient Ischemic Attack) that took place just before Thanksgiving. He is now on blood thinners.
The unfortunate thing is that he can't take ibuprofen now since he is on blood thinners. Tylenol is his only option to take for pain and it has been frustrating trying to control the pain.
The ER doctor suggested that we visit an ophthalmologist specialist to rule out temporal arteritis which could be the cause of the persistent headaches. Visiting the ophthalmologist, given the symptoms that my dad was complaining about (sensitive scalp, jaw pain, persistent headache in the temporal and frontal areas, etc.), he is going to have a biopsy of his temporal artery to rule out GCA (Giant Cell Arteritis). This is an autoimmune disease where the only (known) treatment is steroids. He went ahead and started my dad on steroids immediately since it usually takes some time to get scheduled with the doctor and the OR.
GOOD NEWS: One day of steroids and my dad's headaches are feeling a lot better! Secondly, the biopsy is scheduled for tomorrow (Friday, 12/8).
BAD NEWS: My dad now has a bunch of conditions that can make the others worse (blood clot risk of stroke, GCA, diabetes, and they are all likely causing high blood pressure) AND, obviously, taking multiple medications make things more complicated (i.e. steroids can cause high blood pressure/cardiovascular disease and high sugar levels). Also, not sure what long-term care looks like with GCA since steroids isn't a long-term solution.
In less than a week, we've had a trip to the ER room, 2 trips to different ophthalmologists, lots of phone calls for random things -- and we are getting back on schedule with his primary care provider, oncologist, and diabetes doctor. Even though we seem to be on the right path to stroke and headache prevention, we need to make sure his cancer and diabetes are cared for properly.
Thank you for all your love and prayers! My parents are humbled by the support.
We will keep you updated.
