My story

In October 2008, six weeks after completing my first triathlon, I had a minor stroke caused by a tear in my left internal carotid artery. This condition, called carotid artery dissection, is a common cause of stroke in otherwise healthy adults under age 50.  Like many others who have a stroke caused by this relatively rare condition, I was initially misdiagnosed at the hospital. Once I was correctly diagnosed, I was put on blood thinners (Coumadin) and was told the dissection would heal on its own over the next six months. 

Thanks to the research I did on the Internet, I found a community of people with the same condition. Their stories gave me valuable information about what kinds of symptoms were red flags. I developed one of those symptoms (pulsatile tinnitus) about two months after the dissection occurred, and called my doctor to ask about it. A CT scan showed I had developed a rapidly growing "pseudoaneurysm" that was blocking 90% of the blood in that artery. To fix that, I had a metal stent and coils inserted in my carotid artery through the femoral artery in my groin. 

My research and the connections I've made with others who have this condition showed me that there are few resources available to people who want to learn more about carotid artery dissection. I also learned that very few of us get the same advice from our doctors and there is no one method doctors use to treat this condition. That's why I've decided to post all the research I've done on this blog, so that others may benefit from what I learned.