Rebecca Scano's Artery Dissection
I am BECKY SCANO, a 46 year old widow with 4 kids. It all started with a bad headache and a throbbing
pain behind my right eye, which led to a trip to the Chiropractor. At the office during a neck
manipulation I experienced the worst case of Vertigo ever.
It felt like someone pushed me off the Empire State Building, and I was plummeting 1000 miles per hour
toward the ground, and throwing up the whole way. It scared my so bad that my heart went crazy. The
Doc called the Ambulance and I had a great trip to the hospital.
The Docs at the hospital said I was in Atril Fibrilation and that I needed to be paddled (shocked, not
spanked), but a nurse had fed me so they had to wait for 3 hours.
In the mean time, thanks to much prayer, my heart settled down. They sent me home the next day, only to
return with the same scary symptoms.
Thank goodness for a bossy friend, who wouldn't quit nagging them until they did the proper tests.
Diagnosis
Finally after a bazillion tests (MRI, MRA, Catscan, Echocardiogram, etc.) the neurosurgeon came in to
tell me that I had suffered a stroke...pretty unbelieveble, eh?
The docs said it was my heart that threw the clot, but my friend, a neuro radiologist said it was a
Vertibral Artery injury probably caused by the Chiropractic neck manipulation that caused the stroke.
I haven't quite figured out the whys or what-fors yet, but I'm sure, in time, I will.
The doctors had a real hard time figuring this all out, since I am a most unlikely candidate, to say the
least. I am in great shape and eat like a rabbit..lot's of vegies..little fat...no booze..no smokes...no
caffeine.
The good news is, I AM STILL ALIVE, a bit dizzy, with legs and arms that keep tingling, but I always was
a bit of a dizzy blond. The sun is shinning and I have all the windows open to breathe the yummy fresh
air.
I can't drive for at least 3 months, which makes me very dependant on friends and family..ugh!
I also can't eat green leafy vegies...which is my staple food...another ugh! That is because I am on
blood thinners to keep any new clots from forming. This is all very weird. I guess you can eat like a
rabbit and take great care of your body your whole life, and when it comes right down to it we learn we
are not in control. I try to keep a good attitude. It is very hard not to get depressed. I fight it
daily, and I am scared, scared silly. I went back to work, at the School library as soon as I could to
take my mind off it. It's hard. I wheel around on my desk chair, and make car sounds to make the kids
laugh. They would never guess how truly sick I am and feel. I refuse to be a "stroke victim".
Ciao,
Becky
Truly determined and back at Work
I try to keep a good attitude. It is very hard not to get depressed. I fight it daily, and I am scared,
scared silly.
I went back to work, at the School library as soon as I could to take my mind off it. It's hard. I wheel
around on my desk chair, and make car sounds to make the kids laugh. They would never guess how truly
sick I am and feel. I refuse to be a "stroke victim".
Ciao,
Becky
