The whole story

This week, I’ve been inspired to tell y’all the WHOLE story. I read a blog post about telling your story by my Yoga teacher, Shanon. I recommend reading it.

How things began….

I realized that I “needed” an annual doctor visit, so I called a new provider and set an appointment. I ended up getting the Guardasil vaccine because I wasn’t “caught up” on my vaccinations.

Fast forward 2 weeks…

I have plans to meet a friend at the tattoo studio to be there with her for her first tattoo. Me being the spontaneous Stephanie, decided to get a tattoo as well. Because why not? After I got the tattoo, my arm began feeling weird. I thought it was just a mental reaction because of the new tattoo.

Boy, was I wrong…

I went home and told Robert I was feeling weird. We went out to see the Logan movie, and I had trouble eating the popcorn. We decided that I would go back to the doctor the next day.

The doctor from Hell…

I went back to the doctor with the symptoms of numbness in my right arm, dizziness and difficulty swallowing. She said it was just stress and to come back Friday if the symptoms persist.

Medical Mayhem…

The next day, I came to work as usual, went to lunch with friends/co workers. They noticed my difficulty swallowing and a droop in my face. One friend suggested that I go to an urgent clinic. I complied and she drove.

Next thing I know I’m on an ambulance to the ER. The doctor at urgent care suggested a CT scan even though my stats were normal.

I got to the ER and they acted as though I wasn’t there. I had to demand the CT scan that “showed nothing wrong” with my brain. They discharged me within the same hour.

I finally had it…

I was tired of feeling crazy. I knew these symptoms weren’t in my head. That Wednesday morning, I woke up dizzy and throwing up. I called in to work and apologized that I’d have to be absent. I ended up going back to the first doctor… this time I was with Robert. I told him to record the conversation. I went in with new symptoms. Dizziness, light sensitivity, trouble swallowing, chills, vomiting. She proceeded to insist it was all a reaction to stress.

I sought a new doctor…

And I called my mom. My friends told me about a local doctor that was trustworthy.

I got an appointment the same day. Essentially, she told me to get an MRI STAT.

The same night, she called and said I had a stroke in my brain stem….. that was the worst night of my life.