Sagittal Thrombosis
Tricia Alexander experienced a Stroke resulting from a Sagittal Thrombosis less than a week after giving birth to her 2nd child. It is thought that the underlying cause was Preeclampsia, a condition of high blood pressure that affects some pregnant women during the later path of their pregnancy or after the birth of their baby.
According to Wikipedia, Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is the presence of a blood clot in the dural venous sinuses, which drain blood from the brain. Symptoms may include headache, abnormal vision, signs of stroke, such as weakness of the face and limbs on one side of the body, and seizures.
Connect with Tricia
Transcript:
Highlights
3:14 I had a terrible headache
9:24 I guess I’m very blessed
10:30 I had to get home, I had to get better
16:20 Everyone was amazed
19:57 I Survived, How come they didn’t
22:16 How Tricia Alexander became a blessing to others
25:22 God, don’t take me yet
34:56 It was too much
42:27 Antiphospholipid lupus
47:28 A miracle
Tricia Alexander 0:00
The greatest challenge for me to overcome is that once it did hit me, how close I came to death was getting over it psychologically. And even still, sometimes, especially when I hear that someone has passed away from a stroke or someone my age has passed away, I suffer from survivor’s remorse. I told you in your DMs because I think I survived; why didn’t they stay? And so I struggle with that sometimes.
Intro 0:39
This is recovery after stroke with Bill Gasiamis, helping you go from where you are to where you’d rather be.
Bill 0:47
Bill from recoveryafterstroke.com. This is Episode 69. And my guest today is Tricia Alexander; Trishaa was a mom to a seven-year-old. A week after giving birth to her second child, she experienced a stroke. Trisha contacted me, and I thought having her on the podcast would be a great idea, as her story is very familiar. And it’s a story that many people experienced. And the difficulties she had overcome were genuinely inspiring and worth listening to as a fantastic example of what’s possible.
Bill 1:23
Also, just before we get stuck into it, I wanted to let you know about something I’ve been working on that I finally completed. It’s a free webinar that people can download directly from recoveryafterstroke.com/webinar. In the free webinar, you’ll learn how to take action on your recovery now, build a future vision that will inspire you, and what to do when facing hard decisions about your path forward. You’ll also learn the importance of creating a supportive team around you, what kind of people may be involved, and how strength recovery coaching can help speed up your healing. So go to recoveryafterstroke.com/webinar.Downloadd the recording now. And now it’s on with the show. So, Tricia, welcome to the podcast.
Tricia Alexander 2:10
Thank you. How are you?
Bill 2:11
I’m well; thanks for being on. It’s nine o’clock here in Melbourne in the morning. What time do we have over there?
Tricia Alexander 2:18
It’s 7 pm.
Bill 2:20
Perfect timing. 7 pm. The day before?
Tricia Alexander 2:25
7 pm Sunday.
Bill 2:26
Yeah, today is Monday for us.
Tricia Alexander 2:29
Okay, you’re ahead of me.
Bill 2:30
We are we’re in the future.
Tricia Alexander 2:33
Okay.
Bill 2:36
Tell me a little bit about what happened to you, Trisha.
Tricia Alexander 2:40
I suffered a Sagittal Thrombosis six days after giving birth to my youngest son. I had Preeclampsia. So I guess that precipitated it, perhaps the high blood pressure.
Bill 2:56
So, you had Preeclampsia before you gave birth? And, you experienced the Thrombosis after you gave birth?
Tricia Alexander 3:04
Right, six days later.
Bill 3:06
Is it something that was
Bill 3:09
Developing in your body that caused that blockage to occur? What do you know about that?
I had a terrible headache.
Tricia Alexander 3:14
I think so; I say that because I gave birth to my son in June. So in May, Mother’s Day of 2005. I had a terrible headache. And I was seeing a headache specialist. And we didn’t know what was causing the headaches. And we couldn’t do an MRI because I was pregnant. And so we kind of just had to wait it out. I guess those were signs we had no way of knowing because I was pregnant.
Bill 3:45
Right? Okay. How long ago? Was that experience? 14 years ago? Well, you’re looking fabulous. Fourteen years on, so that’s great.
Tricia Alexander 3:53
Thank you. When I tell people I’ve had a stroke, they look at me like it couldn’t have been that bad. And I’m like, it was. Not only did I have a stroke, but I was hemorrhaging. And I had seizures.
Bill 4:09
So what was it like? Experiencing stroke? What did you notice? During that time, when you were at home? I imagine with the brand new baby.
Tricia Alexander 4:19
Yes. I remember that day; it was a bright, sunny day. I was holding my son. And I went to scratch my face. And my hand just felt awkward. That was, I can’t bend or control my fingers. And so I, like, okay, this is a little weird. But I think I noticed it when I went to lay him in his crib, and I couldn’t put him down properly; I had to roll him into the crib.
And I was like, okay, something’s wrong with me. But, stroke wasn’t on my mind. I don’t know what I thought it was. But I didn’t believe that. And so I called my mom. And she was like, I think you should call 911. Because when I explained the symptoms to her, she thought I was having a heart attack because I lost feeling in the left arm and, by the time EMS came, I couldn’t move my left arm.
Bill.
Wow, were you at home alone with the baby, or was your husband home?
Tricia Alexander 5:27
No, it was just me and the kids I have; well, he was seven at the time, my oldest. And then, a six-day-old, it was just us. We had a tenant in the basement with whom I ultimately had to leave the kids as I went to the emergency room.
Bill 5:45
So you had a new baby and your other child at home and had to leave your kids with a tenant. So you can go to a hospital on your own.
Tricia Alexander 5:58
I couldn’t find anybody. I called the doctor, and I called my brother; my brother had just left my house, maybe an hour before, to return to a nearby church. So I just told the tenant I was like,e, kept him. When he gets out, say to the hospital I’m at. And meet me there because I don’t know what’s happening. And at that point, I was losing feeling in my leg. So I’m dragging the leg around and looking for my insurance card and everything I was calm considering.
Bill 6:29
Now, if you or someone you know has experienced a stroke and are recovering, you’ll know what a scary and confusing time it can be. You’re likely to have many questions going through your mind, like how long will it take to recover? Will I recover? What things should I avoid if I make matters worse? Doctors will explain these things to you. But because you know what question to ask. If this is because you’ve never had a stroke, you may miss out on doing the things that help speed up your recovery.
Suppose you’re finding yourself in that situation. Stop worrying. And head to recovery after stroke. Camm, Camere Cam can download a guide that will help you. It’s called Seven Questions to Ask Your Doctor about Your Stroke; they’ll better understand your condition sup, port you, and play a more active role in your recovery. Head to the website. Now, recoveryaftrecoverafterstroke.com and follow the guide. It’s free.
Tricia Alexander 7:28
But yeah,
Bill 7:29
I smile, and I laugh because it’s familiar and similar. I couldn’t feel my left side when I went to hospital. But I was very calm. I didn’t make a fuss about what was happening to me. I didn’t consider stroke. Of course, my mind was caused by a bleed. So it was slightly different. Yours was a blockage caused by drivers to the hospital, and what happened? How long are you in hospital for?
Tricia Alexander 7:56
I was in the hospital for about two and a half weeks.
Tricia Alexander 8:00
My mom doesn’t live in this country. So she was coming up for the birth. I wound up gigavee weeks early because I had high blood pressure, so they induced my labor. And so all of this happens before she can get here. But when I got to the hospital, I told them I just had a baby. I had Preeclampsia, and I remember they gave me a pill. And then I guess I was kind of in and out of consciousness. I didn’t know what was going on. I don’t recall anybody mentioning a stroke at that time.
Tricia Alexander 8:37
Um, it just it just all happened so fast.
Bill 8:40
And it would have been days. Do you recall having any contact with the baby after you were obliged for those two and a half weeks?
Tricia Alexander 8:50
If they did, I think they feared delving into postpartum. So they did allow him to come to the hospital and let my mom bring the. They did this in a separate hospital wing because he hadn’t had his shots. So yes, they allow the children to see me.
Bill 9:09
That would have been dramatic. And then you’re going through two and a half weeks of hospitalization treatment. And at some point, was there any need for surgery to deal with the blockage or anything else?
I guess I’m very blessed.
Tricia Alexander 9:24
Well, my cousin told me because I don’t recall. But for the bleeding, they did want to go in to stop the bleeding. And she was like, No, we want a second opinion. My Aunt is not here yet. You know, we need some, be sure. And they never had to do it. And I guess I’m very blessed. Because I’m here with no telltale signs, but it wasn’t good. Because when my mom got here, maybe two days later, I was in ICU. I didn’t start in ICU, though. I think it was the, I don’t know,w; I f, it was a combination of the bleed and the seizures. That wound me up in the ICU. That’s a little sketchy for me. I don’t recall.
Bill 10:08
Do you remember what it felt like to be a mom again, a young baby at home, and stuck in the hospital going through the challenges of a stroke? Do you have any recollection of what that felt like for you?
I had to get home, I had to get better.
Tricia Alexander 10:30
My focus was just on the kids; I had to get home, I had to and. Whatever it took, whatever I needed to do, I just had to get back home to them. WWheWhenadWhenstroke, my girlfriend came to the hospital and took the T-shirt I was wearing to put in my son’s crib so he could have my scent around him. And in turn, when my mom got here, I had her take off one of his undershirts and bring it to me, and I wore it on my left arm.
So, all the nurses on the floor knew me as the new mom who had the stroke with the undershirt on her arm. And I wouldn’t take it off if I took it off. I had to get it back on as soon as possible, like after they would do testing and things like that because I just needed his scent. Yeah, around m, hadad my Bible and a picture of the kids.
Bill 11:26
That’s beautiful. So I like that thinking from your friend to take your scent and bring it to his crib so that he can have, you know, his mom sent around. And it’s essential in those early days when moms and children connect that way through the scent. So, that’s fascinating. I love that they did that.
Tricia Alexander 11:47
Yeah. And when I got home from the hospital, the shirt was still in the grip.
Bill 11:51
Lovely. So you got home from the hospital. But did you go directly to the hospital time? Or did you have some time at rehabilitation?
Tricia Alexander 12:01
Oddly enough, I did not have to go to rehabilitation. I went straight home. And I’ll never forget getting into the car. I hit my head, and my mother said, my God. I mean, I guess my balance wasn’t stable. But I think I just led them to believe I was more challenging than I was because I said I got in the car and banged my head so hard. I think I saw a star that sounds like.
Bill 12:34
Trisha, that’s wild. I remember coming out of the f hospital and talking. Most people know that I had a bleed in the brain. And then I met a particular person gentleman who didn’t know that I had a bleed in my brain. He hadn’t seen me for a few months. And he was excited. And he did this manly thing, you know, like to the tap on the back of the neck, you know, and the back of the head, and he hit me on the back of the head. And I said to him no, don’t touch my head. I just got out of the hospital. He said Why? I said because I had a bleed in the brain, and he went, he just went gray.
Bill 13:09
He said sorry, I didn’t know, it’s okay. Just
Bill 13:17
shake my hand, you don’t have to
Tricia Alexander 13:21
Yeah.
Bill 13:22
So, Mom, Momld have freaked out. She would have thought, Oh, no, what is she doing to herself?
Tricia Alexander 13:26
She was. I thought I was okay. I’m okay. I’m fine.
Bil,lMom:32
I’m just now going home with a lump on my head aAliciaia 13:34
Right.
Tricia Alexander 13:37
I had to come out with a cane. I had to walk with a cane, which I refused to use in the house; only when I went out,
Bill 13:46
Why did you refuse to use it in the house?
Tricia Alexander 13:49
Um, because I didn’t know; it felt like I didn’t want to become dependent on it. I didn’t want to use it as a crutch if it wasn’t necessary. And my house wasn’t crowded. There wasn’t anything nearby if I needed to hold on to something. And so I did without it in the place. And even my mom was like, Are you sure? And I’m like, I’m fine. I’m at the plateau now. I have the wall; I have a chair. There’s something nearby. I didn’t want to become dependent on the crutch on the cane.
Bill 14:29
It’s noKoreanaideaea. I don’t know if I would recommend that. So if anyone’s listening who’s fresh out of hospital and they have a walking aid, perhaps everyone else should consider using it. But I get it because even then, you’re not using the crutch or the cane; you are retraining the brain to learn how to walk again and give signals from the forefoot to the brain to regain your balance and become able again. So I love that you did that. But then you use that outside. So was the theory that I got one anyway to lean on if I fell behind.
Tricia Alexander 15:13
Exactly. Exactly. That’s that’s precisely what it was. And then going outside was walking longer distances than inside the home. YefellAnd so I would use it to make sure I was steady because thy stressed I cannot fall; I am not allowed to fail. Something like okay, and so I would use it when I went out.
Bill 15:36
And when you go out? Were you entirely comfortable with being out and about, running your children doing all these?
Tricia Alexander 15:49
Um, I didn’t do significant things. I’m at the most; I’d walk to the store or a few blocks to get my hair done. Nothing major, nothing that would strain me. If anything like that, my mom would be with me. If I had to do any significant things,
Bill 16:11
And what was it like with the babies and the kids getting them out with you? I imagined that was there a pusher, a stroller, or something like that, yo; you to
Everyone was amazed
Tricia Alexander 16:20
I didn’t use the roller initially because I was young, so I would strap him to the front of me because I remember going from my six-week checkbox-week birth. I strapped him to the front of me. My mom checkbox-weekend we took the bus in the subway. When I got to the doctor’s office, everyone was amazed that I had walked in there because they’d all heard and expected me to be worse off than I was. At that point, I had my speech was back to normal. And looking at me, I had no telltale signs that I’d had the stroke except for walking with the came. I was very, very lucky.
Bill 17:02
So you would have been motivated not to fall over because you have a baby strapped to you.
Tricia Alexander 17:08
Right. And I just took my time. I took my time; I’ll get there when I get the. I didn’t rush. I didn’t push myself in that way.
Bill 17:20
Mamas and their absolute determination to get things done. And you know, to be okay for the kids. All that reminds me of my experience growing up with my mom; I Imagined so many other people’s experiences with their moms and absolute determination to do everything possible for their kids. It’s just amazing.
Tricia Alexander 17:46
Yeah, it wasn’t about me; it was about needing to get to my ki; Ds need taking care that was my focus. Yeah, I didn’t focus on myself.
Bill 17:58
Were there any long-term neuropsychological challenges? Did you have problems with speech or memory or any of those things?
Tricia Alexander 18:07
Um,
Tricia Alexander 18:10
I’m going to say maybe a little bit of with the memory because there are stories that people tell me that I recall during my time in hospital conversations and things like that. For example, my cousin said she knew I would be okay when I told her I needed to get my hair done. Because, like, Oh, she’s going to be okay. SoonAsoon shehe gets her hair done. She’s going to be okay. So, but, you know, like the conversation about the bleed, I don’t recall that. I’m just some little things that I didn’t remember.
Because it was terrible, I rested a neurology visit with the hospital on my birthday that year. And I asked the doctor, I said, Well, how bad was it? She was like, medically, we had done everything we could for you. The rest was up to you. And I was just like, wow, that fine line between death. And It took me a while before it hit me. But it was just like, wow,
Bill 19:15
And severe disability between severe disability or, you know, death or something lasting. It’s just, it’s just moments and luck and randomness and all sorts of silly things. And there is just no way of knowing what outcome each person will have. Although we can still expect the best and work towards having significant outcrops, don’t we, like, don’t have to all get concerned that it’s the worst thing that ever happened? Because it is wrong, it’s terrible. But we have to work towards getting the best out of the situation and working towards a solution.
I Survived Sagittal Thrombosis, How come they didn’t
Tricia Alexander 19:57
I agree. I think for me, as I said, if you look at me, I look perfectly normal. I don’t have any telltale signs whatsoever. However, I think the most significant challenge for me to overcome is that once it did me, how close I came to death was getting over it psychologically. And even still, sometimes, especially when I hear that someone has passed away from a stroke, or someone my age has passed away, then I kind of, as I told you in your DMs, I suffer from, I guess, survivor’s remorse, because I think to myself, well, I survived. How come they didn’t survive? And so I
Tricia Alexander 20:45
I struggle with that sometimes.
Bill 20:47
That’s interesting because I also had that early on. I always do. What’s the word I compare myself to other people? Lie you do when I hear that a body my age has passed away. Recently, a couple of my friends passed away. They were in their early to mid-40s. And they didn’t pass away from stroke, but they passed away from others. I think it was heart-related conditions. And I do that; I compare why they aren’t here. Why I am? And then I also do that crazy, you know, why did I survive the type of thing. Do you find any comfort in your work, your job, or how’s why you stayed? yostayededThehe way I motivate myself to feel this is a strange sentence suitable for my survival. Mm-hm is a better version of myself because I am better around my wife, family, children, and those who wow me. Then I use a podcast, and I kind of li, you know, I’m going to be doing all these fantastic things to say, thanks to, to pay triknowo whoever, for me being here.
Tricia Alexander is a blessing to others
Tricia Alexander 22:16
It makes absolute sense to me, um, I always had faith. You know, I grew up going to church. So, I’ve always had faith. But this has deepened my faith. And my motto now is I’m alive to be a blessing. And so I have found that the few people that I choose to share my story with, it uplifts them; like, I had a co-worker whose mom was dying of cancer. And so I shared my story. And she was like, my mom wants it still, sheet keeps going. I said I have to do that for my sanity because as long as you’re moving, you’re not sitting thHavemoping and worrying about the outcome to stay busy.
It just helps you focus on something other than yourself. And if that’s what your mom needs to do, you have to let her do it as her coping mechanism. She told me sharing that insight with her was beneficial because she didn’t understand it. Because in her, it was like, Mom, you need to rest. Takeshi didn’t. I said, No, that’s how she copes. If she wants to run around cleaning everything and doing everything, you have to follow her to do that. She needs to be as much of herself as possible with you have followed.
Bill 23:35
I know with stroa ke that is an essential thing. Speopleeo, forplwhoho listeningwhooe had a stroke experiencewhatereststbecausese that’s how the brain heals. So if you’re feeling tired, rest. What you need to do to sleep and eat well, and all those things there are t just what And then when you’re not healing the body by sleeping or there, You have got some energy, absolutely get out and about, do what you love, and do the things that make you feel normal for as long as you can do them.
And then you’ll find that the time increases the amount you can spend doing stuff as your brain heals; the longer the recovery goes, the more. But definitely, I’ve come across many people who have been unwell before the more as well our life, you know, experiences. So, there’s nothing better than welling someone going through something as dramatic as a cancer journey. But then still being creative, buelecteded to the community and sti lg all things that they usually do because that is healing to the soul, an heart, estilgugh their body might beanduffering.
Tricia Alexander 24:54
I agree. I agree.
Bill 24:58
How old were you when you experienced suffering?
Tricia Alexander 25:01
I was 34.
Bill 25:05
Too young, always too young, when you hear somebody had a stroke, whether they had a stroke at 80 or 70, or at 60. But at 34 with two kids at home? Mm hmm. That’s too much on one person’s plate to deal with a stroke.
Tricia Alexander 25:20
Yeah.
God, don’t take me yet.
Tricia Alexander 25:22
It was challenging. I. But I don’t know; I don’t think I saw it as a challenge. It was just something that happened to me. And I remember attending a church service after having the stroke. And my Bishop stated that sometimes God allows you to go through things to bring you closer to him. And when you come through it, you know that only he got you through it. And I think that’s always how I looked at the stroke; it just put it in perspective for me like, okay, I did develop a closer relationship with God through that because it was only him.
Because the doctor told me out of her mouth, they had done everything Gody could for me. The rest was up to me. And my focus was on my kids. So, I guess I’m not focusing on them. An and wing that just had to get. Well, God, don’t tell me. I have to Care for my kids. And that is just my prayers. And here I am, 14 years later. And youwell careefor. So I feel very blessed.
Bill 26:32
Did you have a stroke survivor remorse early on when you came home from the hospital? Or is that something that developed a little bit later on?
Tricia Alexander 26:43
It developed later on. I think my son didn’t focus on it and was so young and needed so much attention, so he didn’t know it was home until about a year later. I started to tailspin a little; he believed a second, and I almost died. Wait a minute. So because to the point that my mom said when she was on the flight coming here, because as I said, I was in ICU at the time, she was trying to decide where she would bury me?
Was she going to take my body back to the Caribbean? or was she going to bury me here? Because that was my status at the time. It was touch and go. They didn’t know what was going to happen. And when she told me that, I was like, wow, of course, she didn’t tell me then. She must have told me maybe about a year later. Like, people began to say things to me a year. I think it started fillingstartedhe gaps for me, and at that moment, I did not realize how bad it wastartedhfilling the 27:46
Had you been previously employed before you gave birth?
Tricia Alexander 27:53
Yes.
Bill 27:54
So then you’ve been employed and had time off to have the baby. And now you also have time off to recover from the stroke and raise the baby. How did you ease back into work, or did that come later?
Tricia Alexander 28:09
I stayed home for four months.
Tricia Alexander 28:14
When I returned to my job, I returned on a reduced work schedule—but ironically, I left the job two months later for a new job. And in retrospect, I should not have done that because the new job didn’t give me those allowances. And I hit the ground running. I quit that job after about a year because my body went wild. It was just too much too soon.
Bill 28:46
So, they weren’t aware of your stroke history.
Tricia Alexander 28:50
They were; I don’t know how detailed I got into it. But I did. I think I mentioned during the interview that I had been sick. But I don’t think I went into too much detail because I wanted to get the job. But in retrospect, I realized I should have given my body more time to heal.
Tricia Alexander 29:13
Because it was too much.
Bill 29:15
I recall having deadlines and times on the calendar that I thought Okay, by that date, I will be like this. And, by that date, I’ll be like that. And I’ll be better. And I remember as I kept getting to those deadlines, or that timeline, not being there that timeline the beginning being extremely frustrated, I told somebody 12 months there that I thought I was 90%. But I don’t feel like I’m 90% today, a year later. I must have been only 50% or 60% back to normal. So, is this a natural 90% today? Or is it, per se, 90%? Do you remember having those types of experiences well? Did you go through something similar?
Tricia Alexander 30:07
No, I think because, physically, I felt fine. I looked fine. And so, therefore, I thought I was okay. I could go back into the fast pace of New York City. But it was too much, and I quit the job after about a year and a half. My body couldn’t take it like it was just too much. My son was a toddler. And I had an older son, and they just needed attention. And then work was very demanding. And I couldn’t balance it all. I took on too much too soon.
Bill 30:48
When you quit the job, did you go into another position? Or did you take time?
Tricia Alexander 30:52
I didn’t; I wound up staying home for 11 months. And by the time I went back to work, I was ready. I felt good. But, um, I learned from the stroke that I have protein S&C deficiency and lupus anticoagulant. So, my blood will always clot if I’m not on blood centers. And so, my first few years on the job, I was in the hospital. Think about every year for the first five years for one reason or another, trying to balance everything out. I think I finally got everything under control. But it was a lot of trial and error, hit and miss. I’ve had DVTs. I’ve had, I think, two DVTs. I’ve had a pulmonary embolism.
Bill 31:49
DVT is Deep Vein Thrombosis.
Tricia Alexander 31:52
Yes. And it’s the one that develops in the caf. And then, I also had a pulmonary embolism, which is the worst. Everything.
Bill 32:01
That’s a lung clot
Tricia Alexander 32:07
And every breath hurt, inhale, exhale, it was just so painful. And so we realized after trial and error that I do have to take my blood thinners for the rest of my life. And that’s hard sometimes. I just realized that this pill keeps me alive. Because if I don’t take it, I will get a clot because of my blood condition.
BconditionThe tablet that you take for that is Warfarin
Tricia Alexander 32:39
I take Warfarin; the only good sign is that I reduced the dosage. So that’sWarfariplace wall 32:49
Yeah. And has the Warfarin. Does that have other side effects?
Tricia Alexander 32:59
Just the fact that being on them, you bleed longer. Warfarin cannot be easy. But aside from that, for me, no, nothing else.
Bill 33:14
I know a few people on Warfarin; my dad is also there. And I remember him having a weak blood vessel in his nose or jusWarfarine of those little onWarfarinsometimes they bleed. And he bled for that long. Not a lot. But for an extended amount of time. He had to go and see the doctor, and they took the hospital to try and prevent the blood vessels from continuing to bleed. They aren’t the hospital, whether decreased boats or not. But it was a real challenge. It gave him a real. I think it gave him a bit of a fright because he also realized.
Bill would 33:55
This seems benign, but if it was more because 33:realizedas a server or s, something e that could be even more challenging. So that plays on his mind as well. Now.
This 34:07
Yes, that’s where it’s scary because I’m like, God forbid I get into a car accident. So, I do have a medical alert bracelet that I wear. In case I’m unconscious, they know I’m on medication and would lose more blood if I cut my finger than because of the blood thinner.
Bill 3take3would lose at the type of work where you were doing one job and leaving.
Bill 34:43
Because you couldn’t cope with it? What kind of worklighter?
Tricia Alexander 34:45
I was a contract analyst.
Bill 34:50
So, a lot of user time, processing, and thinking.
Sagittal Thrombosis was too much
Tricia Alexander 34:56
There were many timelines ahead of changes because it was a prominent union. And it, just, it was a lot. It was a lot like I wouldn’t evwouldn’tcoat off. And I’d be getting 20 questions, ns questions li, like, Cwouldn’t. Cann tjudgmentsubsthe tantiallylskinat, give me f iv? Questions hit Kekeground judging every day, rushing to worushingdropwonder the five,theperfkidsgng a full load and then going home picking Upwork; it. Ere’s too. At that time, I was single. So, I made it a little more complicated.
Bill35:32
Here’sa li.tHere’s to the,ke a super like athlete, I pick. to, I it all more complicated thosallngs that yodod e,scribgoodst now., But the children and I are children and more complex. Havgoodhein Havenges., but they don’t have the challenges that young kids do. I have the MOU, Trisha; I was gone when I got to two o’clock in the afternoon. Anthenen I got home a, after commuting for an hour; it wasn’t better, I didn’t feel better, I felt brought mord after, and stressed from want to be better; Ing on the crazy road,
throat gets home, I would often be at home first before the emergency; I and Teenagroads donDodo throat help around the house. So preparing dinner and doi n all teenagers othingsanya helping difficultHouseded get to sit down and zone and do nothing of things a8 pm, pm 8 an amusement ng, and enough nothing between 8 armbands. It was. I cannot imagine it would have been how you and Ban Adyarmbands ani. That would have been like time Amazinthe and superhuman.
Trica Alexander
attribute to my faith and God, you don’t have a choice, and when I do have, I have no sources. I mean excellmeAndexcellebecause because you do and you help out on sou kmeant’s not quite the same you since have now on me. You tod to caution souonsoptionsare children, childrenomewwasis the homeostasisedidady for bed and, bathed and But I children. I didn t think about it.
I had a bed and bathed and drank; that’s what anybody in my position would do. Ifanda with you facing, y, you wouldn’t know you did, it like loo; you with K. I dofacingcedow I did facing realize you’re asking me and I’ like you with K facedown Budid faced facing now hey do askingcedoI’m did facing to use out okay. Still, I did st hI’m o do it at yours. acedoI’m done facing-usee:00
Yeah, well, I think it’s fas turning. Njusto K is a pretty large city. Have you ever had any trouble remembering which train line to take, difficulty going to a shopping center or shopping, then forgetting which lof of risk from and vel to level, toyourindlevelcar?
Bill 38:26
It was a Seinfeld-level episode all over again.
Tricia Alexander 38:30
NoI HaIt wase thNolevelhavence. I was blessed because I recovered quickly, relatively daring, considering through. Beven quick somewhat bold short somewhat bold g is what happthroughy look quick like what to take that, and I can’t tell, Yeah, but I happen ed.
Tricia Alexander 39:00
B, but I’m taking I don that what test b that what that except and r cause it could have o that what tests mucosae what that signcauseeally could not understand. And I’ I don’t why don’t know to say thank God see I’mcould be confused 39:23
Yeah, it’s nidon’tgwhy don’t you know? Tell me about Imrea Anareallyossee’s first episode. So tir, d, I have certain things thethereallyarsaold possess stroke experience, and I get those little okay, you need to rest now years old sig; you know, if you need to rest. Did you find ours lf having any rest now leftover residual acknowledges where something plays out too much? Did you have any of that?
Tricia Alexander 40:.00
I will say at the time, not that I can recall.
Tricia Alexander 40:05
As I’ve progressed, I will, I guess, get to know my body better. Being on blood thinners and comgottenterms with my condition requires me to take blood thinners. That’s where it’s difficult for me because, you know, got tenure on Warfarin, you got to stay away from iron-rich foods. Therefore, I’m going to tenure-iron rich foods have a lot of warfarin K iron-rich in K clots your blog’s calledwtenurerfa in iron-right down and have saofarfarinve to if I’m going to win at the salad, Imustto ewarfawarfarinn-rich salad every week every month juweekiron-richy meds regulated.
Ifwarfarinn throw off my medicine week on. Even multivitamins, I can’t take a curriculum of vitamins because of themedicmedicineiaof action; I can only have gummy vitamins; I found that out. The hard way was wound up in the hospital for a week. Because it is May, I made my mediation look ligand and ke it didn’t hospitality nea urol b cause really and was like, and we like staying here for a week to ensure that we get your numbers back right before we l because. So I’m sure we get to eat as much muron-rich food as the next. Andbecauseeing a being unable worse. Gets are the types of things that next because And I’mBsad being5o that makes to get it w, worse, because during the menstrual cycle, you’re losing blood, decreasing the amount o worse in your body and at the same time, you can supplement or no,t eat iron-rich foods. So you struggle for however long it takes to get a tough that.
Tricia Alexander 41:56
It was very. I mean, I even had to get iron fusion for a while. They injected a version of straighter ironic veins, which was not the best feeling b, but I had something to survive. Yeah. So that has been difficult navigating the,e had shadethingill 4tol me about lupuitd hopefully you not easyvigateawareness about something is and how it works ag, lupus. Hopefully, What have to navigate awareness of phospholipid lupus and
Sagittal Thrombosis
To navigate have lupus, I have lupus anticoagulant, ant, which means, ns thto natoanavigationoot much mo; I quickly than anticoagulant means don’meansa ve lupus navigate the same thing I asked when I was told I have lupus? And they said no, you have anticoagulant, Antiphospholipid lupus, something like.tAnd. That was like the constant term, and I can never say it, and the numerologists used to laugh. But it’s basically that my blood clots very quickly.
Usually, people have one And the other. I was Fortuna to laugh, winner of abasically the protein S therein Cquicklyend. This lupus anticodon is weird to me bento e w, with my first just to l: ugh’ have any of the and se issues. So that anticoagulant I couldn’t, Itoersto ait was these issues to have any of them and the problems laugh’tldn’tt it,wasteThat was one thin did that I never kind, of really was clear just.
Bill 43:37 Yeah, that is drama, couldn’t.
Bill 43: 2
Excuse me, too. Hmm. . I’m curious if it’s okay if we clear lk about i43:37. It mentioned that you becCuriousgle soon after the birth of your second child and then through the strokes. Was, did .he relatstrokesfell apart after that? Or was deliveries met ing ocstrokesbeDidur second child’s fallshstrokes44:07,
It was the relationship before.
Bill 44:12
And how does something tTriciaming of does relationschangees are something that .rDidhat forward the ending of the relationship relationship’s end in that createsTricia 44:somethingno, I think, honestly, the relationship was probably over long before the complications; sometimes when you’re in a situation, and you’re just comfortable, you know, you shot to stay in the case, but it’s sometimes. And you know, you’ll already be until you work. It’s almost like a patchwork topic in a round hole. So no, the stroke wasn’t salreadyver, but the relationship was over the edge. Putting it was over before then.
Bill 45:04
It depends on the day that you think about it, I understand. I hear about a lot of stIt dependsrvivors having gone through a challenging relationship or being sent the middle of a tricky relationship, a lot of oftrickylenging will be the problematic onedifficultthere. Connection, it ends the connection mecha with llenhardtherechalis challenging anyone to challenge recovering anyonechaldepend on that is, a difficult challenge not achieve and all the stroke question that you don’t see, in a partner until you r challenging, you know fantastic 45:54
So I hear fantasticartnI That people need to partner, and sonship broke do know fantastic left. I heard stropartnersir relationship died because it was just the relationship. But it’s like, people would say, I do,othe antastitheire around you because it loves you. And people, you had a stroke; Are you going to people are. and now?
Bsome6fantasticll I hang around out of pity or guilt or any people or stuff, which I think is the worst reason for people to hang around, and they tend to go—seems dramatic. But I guess it seems a blessing that Tworsterson can. It seems it’s time for me to go and ?eSeemsudramforicever it is that here’s got to heal without me being here, to it seems, to make forworswithr you.
Tricia Alexander 46:53
Bill 46:55
It’s just such a complicated and exciting situation. That’s why I am worse with as fair exciting forward, What kinds of thought do you do now feel less, of that sur,vit exciting before do you do ev ry day in your life so thawhatost of the blessing you’ve had since then?
A Sagittal Thrombosis miracle
Tricia Alexander 47:28
that,t try very,y forward, I try to that others. I try to be a sou ding board, a voice of reason. I said I have significantly increased. I mean, try was all ys faa faithful. But you know, I’ve been a referred reason. Fiscal Sohaveosignificantly increassignificantlynincreasedre increased my testimony with I’ve so, sometimes fee; It significantly. Rope.
And I’m like, Gocked me back people from the grave. Soyou is known, fee you ju sometimes faith. (inaudible) Big o sma it is faith, the Gode of a staback people from religion. So, as is known, you lie in something that you can Be doing; that’s what I focus on. And, of course, my kids. I’m so thou believe be here them grow up.
Bill 48:24
Yeah. Isn’t that a great big?
Tricia Alexander 48:26
Mm course 48:28
Tell me about the go. How do they know?
biggie 48:3dodest iknow21. And my biggest I 14the gods every birthday reminds me of everyone that them they rbiggieause, again, I had a stroke six biggest his as born. And iromost enormousl,y, h was one Father’s Day that year.
Bil 48:50
Yeah. Trisha, you didn’t look like you’re after 35. And yIronically-yit Ally ait a 14-year-old. That’s cool. That’s very cool. Well, Trisha, loo, I do. Thank you for being on the podcast. I appreciate learning a little bit about the story. Thanks so much for sharing it.
I’m so glad to be here to share with me and the rest of the ty. Thank you for sharing and touching Instagram. I would precleaning with the rest of the community because they related to your story. How could they do that?
Tricia Alexander
Appreciate me also on Instagram, ohsoprecious_events. I’m a certified e-ent designer. So, I’m sitting in front of one of 49. I appreciate that they can send me a DM. I’d be happy to talk with anyone who feels they can benefit from what I’ve shared.
Bill 49:48
So you must move out of your old kind of talking anyone analyst into event benefits from design. Tell me about that.
Tricia Alexander 49:50
Moved out. I think it has always been in me, but I never focused on it. And I still put donuts on it. 100% I do work as a gal by day. I designed it on the side for now.
Bill 50:15
And what type ofdonutsgs do you design,
Tricia Alexander
um, work backdrops. I do candles; I plan weddings and birthday parties. I’ve even made pa per cakes, or I candle Australia, you mightcandlehcandlespy plan weddings love t designed to see the expression on some candles when I bring their vision to life. That brings the greatest joy.
Bill 50:45
Wow. So that’s a party type of candle space design so people can enter a room that looks fleshy, fancy, or whatever.
Tricia Alexander 50:58
Absolutely.
Bill 51:00
Brilliant. Well, that is a lovely backroom and better than the backdrop.
Bill 51:05
Which is walls, half of my kitchen, and half of training, but that’s okay. I do love uth the drop.
Bill 51:13
And you positioned yourself right in the middle of it.
training2lonely, but I can get a bit of free yourertisement here.
Bill 51:24
Share that, and you have a website where people can go to a link we can share.
Tricia Alexander 51:29
It is still the same Oh So Precious Events. I’m on Facebook, and I’m also on Blogspot.
Bill 51:36
Excellent, brilliant. Please send me those links when the episode ends, and I’ll add them to the show. Please take a look at the C when the spell ends.
Tricia Alexander 51:44
Thank links appreciate addBill 51:48
Tricia, thank you so much for being on the podcast.
Tricia Alexander
Thanks for having me.
Intro. I51:53
Discover how to support your recovery after a stroke. Go to recoverypodcasting.com
