Don’t Know Why You Had a Stroke? Maybe The Following News Will Help.

I didn't drink in excess, or smoke, or have diabetes, or have high cholesterol, or high blood pressure, or obesity, the main reasons why people have a stroke. I'll get to point, eventually. But first, some background.

Congenital Protein C or S deficiency is an inherited disorder. This means it is passed down through families. Congenital means it is present at birth.

The disorder causes abnormal blood clotting. One in 300 people has one normal gene and one faulty gene for protein C deficiency. Protein S deficiency is much less common and occurs in about 1 in 20,000 people. But overall, it's frequent, considering there are about 330 million in the US alone.

If you have this condition, either deficiencies of S and C, you are more likely to develop blood clots. The symptoms are the same as for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and include:

Pain or tenderness in the affected area
Redness or swelling in the affected area

Warm around affected area

The diagnosis during the first year, when I was in the dreaded Bacharach Rehabilitation Hospital in Pomona, New Jersey, the doctor said I had a Heparin reaction, known as Heparin Allergy (that is a misnomer since it's not an allergy at all in the most practical sense) that caused my stroke. Another doctor a few years later said he couldn't give me a reason. The fifth hematologist gave me the information: I had crummy genes that produced deficiencies in Proteins C and S from most likely my mother and father. And now you know.

Medscape's Mohammad Muhsin Chisti, MD, says, "Protein S is a vitamin K–dependent anticoagulant protein that was first discovered in Seattle, Washington, in 1979 and arbitrarily named after that city. The major function of protein S is as a cofactor to facilitate the action of activated protein C.

"Protein S deficiency may be hereditary or acquired; the latter is usually due to hepatic disease or a vitamin K deficiency. Protein S deficiency usually manifests clinically as venous thromboembolism (VTE)." Stroke, in other words.

The National Institutes for Health (NIH) says, "Protein S functions as a cofactor of activated Protein C. Its deficiency is a rare condition and can lead to deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism or stroke. Protein S deficiency manifests as an autosomal dominant trait." [Explanation needed: To have an autosomal recessive disorder, you inherit two mutated genes, one from each parent. These disorders are usually passed on by two carriers.]

But the good news is there's a test for Protein S and C deficiencies, and who wouldn't want to know! A family member who shall remain nameless heard of my research into Protein S and C deficiencies, but he allowed the doctor to talk him out of it like the ostrich-head-in-the-sand approach.

If you really knew of those Protein S and C deficiencies, wouldn't you change your lifestyle a bit, like cut out all the causes mentioned in the very first paragraph?

As I wrote in Northwest Brain Network newsletter recently:

Stroke is an event usually caused by rupture of a blood vessel or blockage by a clot, resulting in the lack of supply of oxygen and nutrients, and damage to the brain tissue. Even if you are not a candidate for stroke, or don't know why you had one, this news might help you.  Deficiency of Proteins C and/or S can lead to bleeding, but the good news is there is a test you may consider if you develop a blood clot and have a family member who is healthy with a deficiency of one or both of these natural anticoagulants. Testing healthy relatives of people with a natural anticoagulant deficiency of C and S has advantages which may include increased awareness of the risk factors for and symptoms of blood clots. Recognizing the symptoms of a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or Pulmonary Embolism (PE) allows for prompt treatment to minimize the risk of lasting side effects. It is important to work with your doctor to understand your individual risk, preventive strategies including not smoking, lowering your weight, and achieving cholesterol and blood pressure in the safe range, and therapeutic options in the event of a DVT or PE from deficiencies of Protein C and S.

A Stroke Survivor’s Thoughts About Happy New Year? Meh.

For those of you who know what meh is and if you think this is a negative post, it is. But please read on anyway. 

After four years of Trump and the pandemic coming near the end of his single-term administration when you just wanted to scream "enough despicable Trump and his know-nothing  offshoots  already," and working at home with the kids running hither and yon inside your house because the virus is lurking in corners we don't even know about yet, and massive unemployment that isn't going to get better anytime soon, it is my belief that a portion of Americans aren't going to cheer in the new year like in years past. 

Meh is defined as lacking interest or enthusiasm. And that defines me. So I have 5 New Year's resolutions, in no particular order, rather than my customary 10, because meh-ness has overtaken me. 

1.  I'll finish my third book--fiction, this time. I said that last year and started to "finish" countless times, but I started over in 2020-- countless times. Now, I know the path.

2.  I won't let my frustrations irritate me like I did in the past. Getting my sock on with the heel on top, or having someone finish my sentence for me, or responding to a customer service rep three times with my birth date--it's all gone where I used to purposely kick anything that was near me.

3.  I'll keep doing my exercises, albeit every time I fell in the past, my recovery would take at least two weeks, setting me behind the goal I set for myself. But now I'm in a transport chair so I don't fall anymore. Yet.

4.  I'll watch Poldark--I've already seen it 12 times in a row--until I can know the lines just before they're said. (Shut up! That's my relaxation to get me thinking about #1 on this list). 

5.  I'm getting used to the new normal because it's going to be around for I-don't-know-how-many years. I remember my mask upon leaving and stay at least 6 feet apart in the line at Trader Joe's which is my only destination. I get excited when multiple avocados come in a tiny bag of their own.  And I am obsessed with the depiction of the coronavirus. Something so evil shouldn't be so attractive. What a life I now have.

I feel about the new year like I feel about most things now. Meh. But I'll force myself to wish you, my faithful readers, a happy new year.