I know I am crazy but I am convinced I will have a serious stroke in the future and here is why..

[Notalone]

Ok, I know I sound like a crazy person but hear me out. My father (whom I have always taken after physically) had a devastating CVA when he was 52 leaving him disabled with no speech and his aunt had a series of strokes starting from her seventies onwards including a couple of serious ones. My fathers stroke was a haemmoraggic (spelling?) stroke and not ischaemic.

My DS is 8 years old and his personality and any health things he has been through are exactly the same as me. For example he has recurring mouth ulcers like I did as a child, has a slight stammer like I did as a child and is currently obsessed with people fainting which is a weird stage I went through when I was a child. His personality, voice and mannerisms are just like mine and nothing like Dp. I am now convinced I must have strong genes and am terrified these strong genes mean I am very likely to have a stroke in the future. I know I sound a bit unhinged with this one (I am actually a very sane person lol) but this is something that has worried me for such a long time that I need to ask if I am right? Based on what I have said am I more likely than most people to have a stroke in the future?

Bugger - I mean't to edit this and read it through before I posed but accidently pressed post rather than preview

Please be gentle with me - I know I sound mad but I really am very worried

I don't think you are mad or sound mad, tbh I think you are being very sensible to be thinking about things. My advice would be to see your GP and ask if there are ant tests you can have to see if you are likely to have a stroke and get advice on how to avoid one.

Does everyone know the F.A.S.T. rule in case you did have a stroke?

I have mainly been down the burying head in the sand route singing la la la but I am a student Occupational therapist currently studying a stroke module which has enhanced the worrying. When I joined my current GP I had to undergo a sort of body MOT which included a history of stroke, diabetes etc questionnaire. I advised them of my family history but nothing was offered. Is there a test I can have do you think?

I think my DP knows the FAST rule - will have to check

Right first stop worrying! Next go back to your GP and state what you have said to us.

Do remember that you are not your father you are a mixture of genes so nothing is certain.

As you know from your training strokes can be prevented and there is a lot of ways you can test if you are at risk and simple things done to make sure you do not have a stroke.

Look at this link and you can see that there is a lot you can do to prevent strokes.

link

Knowledge is the greatest way to deal with your concern and then be able to get on with your life. Good luck with your training

Well the one good thing is when I explained my history to a (very eccentric) locum GP a while ago he explained that the sort of stroke my father had was more a case of bad luck than anything else. The way it was explained to my mother at the time was that something had "flaked off" inside the brain - it was not caused by a clot and there was no history of high blood pressure though he did have raised cholestorol.

That link is great Dinamum - thank you very much. Much of it does not apply to me which is reassuring. I guess with the module I am currently studying the worry is constantly at the forefront of my mind. My new years resolutions are to cut down on alcohol and to eat healthier so I am hoping as you said, that if I know I am doing all I can to prevent it then this will be reassuring in itself.

Thanks to both of you for for not making me feel like a loon!