Nothing New

Nothing new on the medical front.
I continue to exercise and head back to uniformed work on the 30th. I guess I need to look into a haircut at some point.

Dissection Update

The scan from November shows that the clot that formed at the point of the arterial dissection has dissolved.

The preventative plan now is to:

1. NOT do standard Army sit-ups (the Army is considering going away from this style anyway).
2. Stay on Plavix but stop the Aspirin.  This is currently indefinite until age or other future unknown medical issues dictate otherwise.  The reason is that since the original dissection was spontaneous, if another happens, the platelet therapy will reduce the risk of as stroke caused by the dissection clotting.  Research on spontaneous dissections recommends 6 months of Plavix and Aspirin and I am beyond that point.  
3. Go to the hospital if I get anything beyond my standard low-grade and short-term headache.

Exercise plan:

1. Gradual return to my previous cardio and muscle exercise regimen.
2. No hold-the-back-of-your-head sit-ups (to be safe).
3. No more power-lifting or work-out sessions with my WWE buddies.

It feels good to be (mostly) out of the clear.  The neurologist read some statistics regarding spontaneous dissections.  3/75 people in a study experience a second dissection within a year.  2/3 were bilateral (occurred on the other side artery).  According to statistics, I have about a 1% change annual that I will have another dissection.

So nothing new from now on until something new happens.

Oops. Forgot the update.

Recent news in the CAD saga (summary):

-Wasn't impressed by the Air Force neurologist
-Air Force radiology lab messed up some scans and lost our confidence
-Had an MRI/MRA at the local Army post
-Switched primary care from Air Force tonArmy
-Saw my new D.O. To get an Army neuro referral
-Neuro appointment on Dec 19th

I decided I needed to start seeing an Army doc at an Army facility so that then could effect my exercise and physical limitations. I am due for an Army physical fitness test soon and need to avoid issues.

More post Dec 19th.

Medical Update: Finally an MRA

If you recall from past posts, it was only an MRA that first showed the CAD (Carotid Artery Dissection) in my brain.

Two days after passing the 6-month mark from the initial CAD I received an MRI/MRA.  Monday I will pickup a copy of the scans and take them to my Neurologist at my clinic (appointment pending).

More when that doctor gets his arm twisted to give us some options as to how I proceed with my altered life.

Sorry it has been so long since an update, but that is all there was going on: waiting for this most recent scan.

Brother's Head

My four-years-younger brother had an MRA done today to see if he had anything odd going on.

No over-tortuosity in his carotids or other obvious oddities.

Glad he is not set up for a carbon copy of my issue.


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Phone Tag

After several rounds of phone tag with various organizations I finally have a neurology appointment set for October 11th.

With a neurologist.

At the clinic I have been going to all along!

What?!

Either:

1) They just got a neurologist because they never mentioned one on staff before.

2) This one is not qualified to handle m case, hence the referral previously, and now they have underestimated my case.

I am going to ask, "Why didn't they send me to you before?"

It should be interesting.

The CT Update Part III

TRICARE wants me to see a local neurologist for followup care.  So the clinic has put in a request for a local appointment.  It will most likely be in Denver as the neuro docs nearer to home are booked for a year.

The concern we have is the original Air Force doc that saw me here did not think that any local (to include Denver) neurosurgeons were head neurology specialists, just back specialists.

The story is if a doctor needs to physically see me, and I was under neuro care in Phoenix, I would have to travel there every time.

So more when then referral comes through.