Heart Attacks vs. Mystery Illnesses

My dad had a mini-stroke on Thursday. A TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack). He was admitted to the hospital where they ran numerous tests. They found that he had an 80 percent blockage in his carotid artery and 90 percent blockage in one of the arteries going to his heart. They did a catheterization on his heart today and put a stint in, opening that artery up. In 10 days they'll tackle the carotid. If all goes well today they'll send him home tomorrow.

Nice and clean. Cut and dry. One part of me (the practical side) looks at this and says, "THAT'S what medicine is about! Right there. Run the test, see what's wrong, go in and fix it." Beautiful. Medical art at its finest.

Also through testing - an MRI showed that at some point in his life he had a previous stroke. And an Echo of his heart showed that at some point in the past he had had a heart attack. Though he was aware of having the stroke, he never knew he had a heart attack. Amazing. To have the technology that unravels clues about past illnesses is truly a miracle. But we all know that that miracle doesn't apply to everyone's illnesses. For some of us they go unlabeled for years, even decades.

If you're reading this blog its because you're one of the thousands of people who, like me, have mystery illnesses where the diagnosis isn't so cut and dry. And if you're like me, you look at situations like my dad's and say, "I wish they could do that for me. I wish they could go in, see what's wrong with me, see what WAS wrong with me in the past and fix it. Just fix it!" Well, what I've learned from research and reading - not to mention my own 20-year battle with a mystery illness - is that its not always that easy.

The most important thing is to find a doctor who will be your PARTNER in your quest. I truly believe that every illness is solvable. We just need to find a physician who is willing to take the time, expend the energy, and muster up the enthusiasm to solve our personal medical mystery.

And then, like my dad, we can all be fixed and free of our pain and frustration.