Mom's stroke

Last weekend I received a call from my sister Brenda that Mom had a possible stroke or heart attack and was being taken to a Tampa Hospital. Wayne said they were both in the livingroom and he noticed that she was rocking back and forth in the recliner. Upon asking her what she was doing, she slurred that she was trying to get up and use the restroom. Not realizing she was ill, Wayne attemped to walk her down the hall to the bathroom, but half way there with most of her weight on Wayne and him not being able to physically hold her up, they fell on each other, turned around, and together stumbled back to the recliner. From there 911 was immediately called and she was taken by ambulance to the hospital. The doctor's told Wayne the best thing he did was for him to call 911 so quick. It may have saved her life. Mom has done so good after her open heart surgery in August. They have a winter home in Zephyrhills Florida were they normally stay from October to May each year from Michigan's cold winter. None of us girls wanted them to go this year, but no one spoke up and voiced their fears either. We were all concerned that it was just too soon for them to travel and be so far away from family. We all wished they would either delay their trip or just cancel it this year, but around six weeks after her surgery they made the trip south. It didn't take me too long on the phone with the help of a wonderful switch board operator to locate which emergency room Mom was taken to. Within a few hours she was diagnosed with a moderate stroke with paralyzes on her left side and continued slurring of her speech. Her doctor's in Florida quickly and mutually agreed that following her surgery, she should never have been taken off Plavix following her bi-pass. She needed it more after surgery than before, but her cardiologist in Michigan thought she was over medicated and took her off this medicine shortly after her surgery. We will always wonder if her stroke could have been avoided if she was still taking this. The results from her first CT scan revealed another previously undetected stoke. Poor Mom, she had test after test. Around the third day in the hospital, they scheduled another test that would detect if there was the danger of a lingering blood clot in the area of her heart. This would be done orally from her mouth to her heart. While attempting this test, they found an obstruction in her throat and had to terminate the procedure. Another CT showed the diagnosis of Zenker's Diverticulum. Which is in the family of diverticulosis. The test itself caused a horrible sore throat with severe swelling, inflamation, and pain throughout her throat causing Mom not to be able to swallow. She was also started on physical therapy for the paralyzes. Within a short time there was a great improvement of movement in her left arm and leg. Today, one week after she was admitted, she was transferred to the sixth floor for rehabilitation. They still have not decided how they will close the pouch in her throat. From what I have read online, it will either need to be treated with lazer treatment or stapled closed. We will face that challenge on another day. For now Mom is alive and healing. This is all we can ask for now.