My story By Tahnee
As a 33-year-old mum of two young boys, I never imaged that I could be affected by stroke at such a young age.
My story began March 17th 2020, just as coronavirus (COVID-19) and restrictions hit Victoria. Two hours after a relatively good labour and the birth of my second son, I experienced the most excruciating pain in my head. I honestly felt like I was going to die.
I was given morphine, but it did nothing to ease the pain. I stayed in the hospital ward for 11 days where I experienced ongoing severe headaches for four to six hours per day. Having to look after a newborn while in extreme pain was made even more difficult and isolating by the fact I was unable to have any visitors due to COVID-19 restrictions. After the tenth day in hospital the headache died down, and I was able to go home.
On the day of discharge from the hospital I couldn’t walk properly, use my phone or recall simple words such as ‘headache’. I knew something was wrong, but the nurses and doctor assured me it was just poor leg circulation from being in bed for so many days.
The next day at home, I felt a tingling in my face and couldn’t move the right side of my body. My right leg felt like it was made out of concrete. I said to my husband, “I think I am having a stroke.” My husband Cam and I both called the doctor multiple times, but the doctor kept saying I was experiencing side effects from my medication, and that I was booked in for a scan in a few days.
A few days later, I still wasn’t feeling right. A scan showed I had contracted a condition called RCVS, reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. This is a rare condition as the result of a sudden constriction (tightening) of the vessels that supply blood to the brain. The main symptom of RCVS is sudden, severe, and disabling headaches that are sometimes called “thunderclap” headaches. It was also found that I had suffered from dissection of the vertebral arteries in my neck and three TIAs (Transient Ischemic Attacks), which explained the other symptoms I had experienced after returning home.
As a new mum with a two-week-old baby, this news was very hard to hear. The doctor explained that during those two weeks after the birth I was actually in critical condition due to the RCVS. I feel very lucky to be alive today. Thankfully there was no major neurological damage to my brain that I’m aware of, although I am currently having further neurological testing done.
I’ve definitely had my ups and downs since the incident. I have had to spend many days in hospital for follow up scans, taking me away from my boys which has been hard. I am still not feeling well, as I have an upper limb and body twitch, and a lag in my right leg. I have also been on strong sedative medication for the past five months which lowers my blood pressure, making it difficult to stand up.
One of the hardest things to come to terms with is that there was no direct cause of the condition. The doctors said it could have been due to the pregnancy or labour, but they cannot be sure. I still kick myself every day for not insisting on getting scans sooner when I was in hospital after the birth, as perhaps the strokes could have been avoided. I live in fear that I’m going to experience another stroke episode, and there is nothing I can do to prevent it.
This photo really captures how and what I was feeling juggling a newborn and trying to deal with a thunderclap headache with heat pack on my neck! With no visitors for 11 days thanks to COVID – this was a challenging time. If only I knew what these episodes were going to bring (3 mini strokes)
I am so grateful to have my beautiful Mum, Julie Watt from Queensland, at home with me during this lockdown period, she has been an absolute angel. Both Mum and my husband have been so helpful with looking after me and the boys. Now that I am off the medication, I am looking forward to getting my life back on track – after these COVID restrictions ease of course.
I want to get the message out there to everyone to trust themselves, know the stroke symptoms, and get the proper tests. If you think you are having a stroke, you are. I really hope that my experience doesn’t have to happen to anyone else.
Tahnee and her husband Cam, with sons Jay (2 months) and Wills (3 years) at their home in Rye, Victoria.