Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda: But How About "Did"?

I "coulda" gone to the doctor when my leg pain escalated, but I didn't want to miss a day of work. I "shoulda" gone to the doctor while the increasingly, very worst headache of my life began, but I had to stop at the market. I "woulda" gone to the doctor, but I didn't want to miss an episode of American Idol. Coulda, shoulda, woulda can be life-changing. It was for me. They were all lame excuses. And the price of doing those things almost killed me--literally. I take little comfort in knowing that many people followed in my footsteps. Does coulda, woulda, shoulda ring your bell?

Around 80 percent of strokes are preventable, according to the American Stroke Association (ASA), and it's the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States, and some Americans have multiple risk factors like: 

 

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Cigarette smoking
• High cholesterol
• Peripheral artery disease
• Obesity
• Poor diet

The ASA also says for every minute a stroke is left untreated, up to 2 million brain cells die.

Scared yet? You should be. But the 80 percent of known risk factors didn't apply to me. I had Protein S Deficiency, a genetic disorder that causes blood clots, or blockages, to the brain.

But better news. There's a blood test for Protein S Deficiency which is a disorder of blood clotting. People with Protein S deficiency are at risk of a type of clot called a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) that occurs in the deep veins of the arms or legs. 

I had multiple blood clots in all my extremities. Thus, a DVT. Nobody could prevent my stroke. For other people, if you partake in or have any of the risk factors mentioned above, it would be prudent to get tested and rule out Protein S Deficiency. Check with your PCP because it's a specialized test and not every lab complies.