"My TIA journey"

My wife and I visited a restaurant at the end of March for dinner. After ordering I had an episode where I was unable to link thoughts in my mind to the ability to speak . I kept quiet as I was aware that had I spoken it would have been gobbledygook. I was advised that my face had drained of colour. The lapse lasted for 15/20 minutes, after which I was able to communicate properly again. We had dinner and returned to my sisters home.

My sister's husband had a major stroke at a young age and  she ensured that upon our return we immediately contacted NHS 24. Contact was made after 45 minutes with a call handler, and he obtained all relevant personal details and developed a good understanding of the episode at the restaurant. He was supported by a lady medical person in the call,  who was linked with NHS Ninewells and subsequently directed me to attend a GP within St Andrews hospital for attendance that evening at 9:00 pm. where a Doctor Bowman saw me.  She tested my blood pressure, oxygen content and pulse,all of which were reasonably normal. However she examined my neck with her stethoscope and noted significant 'disturbance 'in my carotid arteries'. She felt that I had suffered a TIA. She advised me to contact my GP first thing the next morning and not to drive.

On the Friday morning ,I called my GP at Boness Road Medical Practice, Dr Blackmore. He went through the recent notes by NHS Dundee and NHS Fife and discussed the event with me and confirmed he would make urgent contact with NHS Forth Valley Hospital for me to be seen as soon as possible. I was also asked to contact the firm separately to arrange for bloods to be taken.

On Monday I was advised by my GP to attend FVRH TIA Clinic at 9:30 am the following day . I was reviewed by Doctor Rannickmae who was extremely thorough in establishing my key medical history and talking through the events. She arranged for to have an ECG taken and  eported back to her. After reviewing the result she released me with an instruction to attend a vascular ultrasound at 11:00 am the following day and to return to her clinic afterwards, where she would fit me in in between her clinic appointments. Some difficulties in interpreting some of the images caused her to contact Doctor Byrne of the hospital Stroke Unit.

Doctor Byrne came down to Doctor Rannickmae's clinic to collect me and we walked the fair distance and up 2 flights of stairs to his Stroke Unit. My suspicions that this had been a quiet test of my fitness was subsequently confirmed by him in the event that at some point an operation may become necessary. Doctor Byrne confirmed the need to take all steps necessary to minimise the risks of moving from a TIA to a Full Stroke either through proper medication or, depending on the result of a now necessary CT Scan ,an operation. He confirmed the criticality of both the first 48 hours (now passed) and the next 2 weeks to come .

He tried arranged an urgent CT Scan of my neck and head at his department. He also confirmed that his nurse would liaise with my GP to confirm she would take bloods for both her stroke department and those needed by the GP as due to my scan I would miss my appointment.

I attended the Stroke Unit where Nurse Noonan prepared me for the Scan and took all necessary bloods.The previous day she had given me a whole series of booklets on TIA and Strokes etc. I undertook the CT Scan at 10:45 am and not long after returning to the Stroke Unit,Doctor Byrne appeared to confirm early results from the scan. The scan indicated some narrowing of the arteries that may need intervention. He allowed me to leave the hospital, and would to contact me by phone in the afternoon with the results.Later 

At 4:40 pm Doctor Byrne phoned me to advise that, after  discussion with the Vascular Team,one of my carotid arteries was at 50 % and the other 47 % of full width. It was their collective opinion that the risk of an operative procedure to deal with the matter was greater than that of prescribing the appropriate medicine to control it.

On Friday at 9: 10 am I received a call from my GP , Dr Blackmore to reinforce the steps I need to take to ensure I did not deteriorate from my current pre-diabetic status to becoming diabetic. Whilst this raises dietary challenges upon me which I will now take on board  it has largely completed the investigative work associated with my TIA.

The point of laying out these events is to enable me to substantiate the tremendous efforts by the NHS over 3 geographical areas in working to ensure that within a week of the TIA event happening I was placed on track to reduce the risk of a potential stroke .These collective efforts have hopefully set me on a path to a healthier future.

Without reservation I thank all those involved in this episode for their fantastic individual and collective efficiency and coordination over three geographic areas in enabling me to pass from expert to expert so timeously for such a complex process to have been delivered within a week. The NHS nationally continues with it's difficulties and widespread criticisms but I saw the focus of such a magnificent service and thank all those involved so sincerely for what they have done for me and my future health.