10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Brain Bleeds

It's quiz time! 

If a hemorrhagic stroke could happen to me, with both low cholesterol and blood pressure, no diabetes, and a non-smoker, it could happen to anyone. Or is it an aneurysm? Now I know! And even more.

Here's 10 questions about brain bleeds. Write down your answers and compare them with the real answers below. Let me know how you did. 100%? In your dreams! (But maybe). Good luck.


1. Is a hemorrhagic stroke the same thing as an aneurysm?

a. Yes, they're the same

b. No, but a hemorrhagic stroke is one of the most usual kinds of a ruptured aneurysm

c. No, but a ruptured aneurysm is one of the most usual  kinds of a hemorrhagic stroke


2. A cerebral aneurysm is

a. a thin or weak spot that can occur on a blood vessel of the brain

b. random with no known cause

c. a thick spot that can occur on a vein in the brain


3. A hemorrhage stroke

a. is not emergent and which requires immediate bed rest at home

b. is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment

c. is a medical emergency that always requires an operation


4. A hemorrhagic stroke

a. is more common in women than men

b. is more common in men than women

c. splits 50-50 among genders


5. Symptoms of a hemorrhagic stroke usually occur 

a. when the person is awake

b. when the person is asleep

c. both a and b


6. Most brain aneurysms

a. don't rupture

b. don't create health problems or cause symptoms

c. both a and b


7. Although aneurysms can appear anywhere in the brain, they are most common in arteries

a. at the top of the brain

b. at the base of the brain

c. anywhere in the brain

8. Go to the hospital immediately if

a. you have a mild headache

b. you have the worst headache ever

c. if you have insurance

9. Among the first blood tests in the event of an ruptured aneurysm is to determine

a. your ability to clot

b. your stress level

c. your cholesterol 

10. Usually, hospitalization is followed by a period of living in a rehabilitation center, where additional intensive stroke therapy may be provided

a. to assist the patient with financial responsibilities

b. to help the patient recover as much physical and speaking function as possible

c. to make the patient aware of all the negatives

Answers: 1. c , 2. a, 3. b, 4. a, 5. a, 6. c (a brain aneurysm that doesn't rupture is often detected during tests for other conditions), 7. b, 8, b (whether you have health insurance or not, the hospital has to treat you, but you may wind up with a huge bill if you don't have health insurance), 9. a, 10. b

Acupuncture--It Isn't For The Faint Of Heart, aka Needles In My Body? You've Got To Be Kidding!

I have, at times, a painful lower back and, since we're enumerating, a restless leg and arthritis in the hip, as a result of the stroke, the latter from bad posture I constantly (except when I'm not) try to correct. I tried everything around the house--heat packs, cold packs--and wasted a lot of money on Lidocaine-based, over-the-counter products from the pharmacy. But three weeks ago, I had an epiphany, truth be told, from desperation. Acupuncture! There are many places in Portland that offer it. But first, a little background.

Acupuncture, in a broad context, is a process in which skilled practitioners insert fine, thin needles through the skin in an effort to eliminate or lessen pain in the lower back, neck, and osteoarthritic knee, headache, migraine, dental pain, and nausea, for example.  The downside is substantial if a practitioner uses non-sterile needles which can cause infections, punctured and collapsed organs, and injury to the central nervous system, but in the hands of an experienced practitioner, (and if you're desperate enough), in my opinion, it's worth a try.

With the help of herbs, diet, and massage, acupuncture flourished in China and slowly spread around the world but was disdained by Western medicine. Yet today, even in China, there is confusion and mystery over just how acupuncture works.

From the NIH (National Institutes of Health), comes the bottom line: "Results from a number of studies suggest that acupuncture may help ease types of pain that are often chronic such as low-back pain, neck pain, and osteoarthritis/knee pain. It also may help reduce the frequency of tension headaches and prevent migraine headaches. Therefore, acupuncture appears to be a reasonable option for people with chronic pain to consider. However, clinical practice guidelines are inconsistent in recommendations about acupuncture.

"The effects of acupuncture on the brain and body and how best to measure them are only beginning to be understood. Current evidence suggests that many factors—like expectation and belief—that are unrelated to acupuncture needling may play important roles in the beneficial effects of acupuncture on pain."This from one site: Check acupuncturist's credentials. Most states require a license, certification, or registration to practice acupuncture; however, education and training standards and requirements for obtaining these vary from state to state. 

 I did and found this:

Although a license does not guarantee quality of care, it does indicate, Dr. Lu in my case, that the clinician is up to standard in the use of acupuncture. Some conventional medical practitioners—including physicians and dentists—practice acupuncture. But I couldn't find one. Ergo, Mercy and Wisdom Clinic. 

Mercy and Wisdom is weird both in the waiting room and the acupuncture rooms, the former having very low seats that I struggled to get out of and the latter, simply put, old fashioned with its high examining bed and it archaic case for supplies. But other than that, Dr. Lu knows her stuff. 

When I first met her, she explained how Chinese medicine was different than the Western kind, in engaging detail. It was all about having blockage where you shouldn't. And then the needles came out. It hurt at first, but Dr. Lu reassured me that the needles were placed where they were needed because if they went in to easily, that means they weren't addressing the blockage. The hurt went away in less than 5 minutes.

The needles, and 20 more, stayed in for an hour, and they were placed in something she called channels. She said my arm which has been dead for nine years could move, too. Dr. Lu suggested I'd walk for exercise. So I did, up and down the hall. My assistant, Joyce (I call her Joyce 2), came with me each time, and she was a key factor in my relaxation. Dr. Lu said I have to go a month to notice results with my sore lower back, my restless foot, and arthritis in the hip. She told me to avoid the night shade vegetables and fruits for arthritis: eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes.

I stopped taking the Oxycodone after the 2nd visit. Maybe there is something about pain and acupuncture after all. I'll write and let you know when I take a significant step.