Age: 60.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: COVID19
Symptoms: Dysarthria, Electrocardiogram, Frustration tolerance decreased, Magnetic resonance imaging, Migraine
Clinical narrative: On April 22nd and 23rd I was having constant migraines. I wasn't eating because I wasn't hungry. I was also throwing up for 3 days. The morning of April 24th I had been talking with my mama over the phone. During the phone call I wasn't making any sense or articulating words correctly. My mother terminated the call and then called my husband who was a mile away at the store. Participant's husband is talking now: Her mother told me, "There is something wrong with my daughter. She isn't making any sense over the phone. You need to get home." I went back home. I talked to patient while she was sitting on the couch with her computer in her lap. She was frustrated and crying because she couldn't remember her password to her computer, as she was speaking to me she wasn't able to articulate anything and make any sense of what she was saying. I called the doctor and took the computer away. I told her to smile, and when she did both sides of her face went up. I told her to lift both of her hands, feet, and toes. She was able to do that but still not able to articulate properly. I explained to her that she may be having a stroke and that I would need to call 911. Patient became upset about calling 911 and did not agree. I told her I would either call 911 or take her down the road to the ER. She did not want to do either, and she was being argumentative. I kept her distracted mentally about continuing to call 911. I told her that's fine I'm not going to call 911. I told her I would take her for a ride. I convinced her we were leaving and that I was not going to call 911. I then drove to the Urgent Care/ER. When I pulled up and put the car in park, I told her to get out of the car. She started crying and getting frustrated because she didn't know how to unbuckle her seatbelt so I unbuckled it for her. As we are walking into the ER patient had to vomit. I took her aside to the grassy area and then left her there. Then I went into the ER and told the nurse to come outside to help because patient may of been having a stroke. The ER team came and got her, and then immediately admitted her in and then ran protocol for a stroke. In doing that, they did check on her blood pressure which was 229 over 117. The staff believed she was having a stroke. The team there briefed with the doctor about patients test and that her cognitive abilities where not normal. The doctor confirmed that she is having a stroke. During this time patient could not remember her middle name, last name, or names of her children. She had difficulty spelling her first name. The doctor said we need to give her the injection to stop the stroke. They had to ask permission from me because patient wasn't able to make that decision herself because of her not having her cognitive ability. I asked the doctor if they were sure that it was a stroke. The doctor said she believed more than 50% that it was a stroke, but if given the stroke injection and it not be a stroke then that could cause instantaneous death. Patient heard what the doctor said. In tearful eyes she said please do not do this. The doctor told me that she may have a full on stroke at this point which will be no way to recover the damages that would be done. During that time we were in the hospital for 3 hours. Patients blood pressure did not come down at all so the doctors were confused. They told me the only thing that they could do is watch her for 90 minutes to 2 hours then get her to the appropriate ER the stroke had worsened. There are 2 ER hospitals. The one locally they will send patients who have an active stroke at Hospital. The other hospital, for non stroke patients. They determined it was not a stroke and sent her to the Hospital. The senior nurse said I definitely made the right decision about the injection. Patient went to that hospital and left the day after. I contacted her cardiologist and neurologist and then they wanted to see her right away. These two doctors are not a part of the same team, but we met with the both of them over the next 3 days and both of those doctors said the same thing. They said that there are not 100% certain that this was caused from the COVID vaccine, but informed to not take the 2nd dose. They said if it was a stroke it was small but she is in the fast line for a massive stroke. I was informed to be within 20 mins of patient at all time which caused me to resign from my job which is 45 minutes away from the house. I resigned 2 days later. There is one long term effect from what happened which is some of patients long term memory is non existent which causes her to be frustrated and me frustrated sometimes as well until I remember why she doesn't remember things. The doctors had prescribed patient a small dosage of medication for her blood pressure but it was only 5mg and temporary because she is no longer on that medication. They told her to change her diet and reduce her sodium and caffeine intake. The reason patient has migraine headaches is because she started getting them after being exposed to the burn pit while working.