My hormones changed and then I had a stroke

By Kerry

Eleven years ago I had a stroke, and this is the first time that I am sharing my story.

I am writing about my experience, because I believe that my stroke was due to being perimenopausal, and I don't think that this is discussed enough. I want more women to be aware that stroke can happen due to hormonal changes.

Just after Christmas 2010, I had painful earache resulting with two burst eardrums. My ears were causing me a lot of pain, so about mid-January when I started to get bouts of vertigo I thought it was related. After the vertigo and vomiting eased I was left with fatigue and headaches.

The headaches lingered, so my sister-in-law suggested that I make an appointment with my GP because I was unable to put my chin to my chest which may be a sign of meningitis.

I walked into the clinic, described my symptoms to my GP who said, "either go straight to emergency or I’ll call an ambulance" but didn’t say why.

I was not showing the common signs of stroke, there was something on the CT scan but the neurologist wasn’t sure what the issue was, so I was transferred to another hospital to get an MRI.

My diagnosis was a large left PICA territory infarct involving at least two thirds of the left cerebellar medially including the vermis. The stroke impacted some balance and coordination, but no other functions.

I was discharged a week later with no stroke support information and no discharge plan.

It's difficult when you have invisible deficits, people don't give you the support or time that you need because they can't see the impact of your stroke.

I was mostly left on my own to navigate my strange new life.

Initially I thought that it was simply my balance that was affected, because I could not walk backwards or spin around without feeling nauseous and disorientated. It took a bus ride a few days after discharge to show me how much I had been impacted.

That first time going out in public it felt like all of my senses were heightened and magnified. I could smell everything and every person on that bus, food, soaps, cigarettes, perfumes, burps and farts, I felt so ill. My brain also was trying to filter sounds and images, but it couldn’t. I was nauseous, isolated and panicked.

I had no idea what to do, or if this was going to be me forever.

Over a few weeks the sensory overload eased. I just got on with life. I embarked on a master's degree, which I struggled with as I didn’t understand the impact my stroke had on my executive functioning. I would freeze in exams and go blank under pressure.

I sought out some neuropsychological testing as I felt like I was going crazy. The tests showed most of my function was normal to high normal, but I processed tasks slower, which indicated my processing pathways took longer in my brain, especially under stress.

Like many with invisible disabilities the university did not accommodate me very well, and despite doing all the work, in the end, I didn’t get my degree.

So, why is this the first time I am talking about this?

I want to help to advocate for more information and support for people when they are discharged. I know that Stroke foundation is currently advocating both State and Federal Governments to invest $10 Million in their Stroke Navigator Program which will help to fill the gap.

And, my advice to others who may be going through something similar is to listen to your body, and if things don’t seem right, question it. Especially if you are a woman who is perimenopause or menopause, as these can be high risk times for both heart attacks and stroke.