Best Life: Surviving stroke while pregnant

DENVER, Colo. (Ivanhoe Newswire) - Pregnancy it’s a time of joy and anticipation, but for some, it holds a hidden risk – the increased risk of stroke.

Although relatively low compared to other health issues, the CDC reports that the risk is increasing in pregnant women.

Pregnant women may be up to three times more likely to suffer a stroke than non-pregnant women of the same age.

“I couldn’t see anything. I mean, I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face,” said Briana Grant was 24 years old and 24 weeks pregnant when she says.

Alone and slipping in and out of consciousness. When she woke up, she phoned a friend who called for help.

“She was having symptoms because of a blockage of a major vessel in the head. She wasn’t getting enough blood flow to the brain. When that happens to people, a small portion of the brain dies pretty much immediately within a matter of minutes,” said Richard Bellon, MD, neuro-interventional Surgeon at Swedish Medical Center.

Although rare, Doctor Bellon says some problems associated with pregnancy can increase the risk of stroke. They include high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, blood clots and once a stroke happens, every minute counts.

“We try to get the blood vessel open as quickly as possible,” said Doctor Bellon.

He used a catheter through a small puncture in Briana’s hip.

“We navigate that up into the neck and then we put an even smaller tube up into the brain and essentially apply suction to that to suck the clot out. This is before where the artery is blocked right here. And this is after where it’s open and it all fills out,” said Bellon.

When Briana woke up her speech was slurred, and her entire left side was weak.

“More worried at that point about him than I was myself,” said Briana.

The stroke didn’t affect her unborn baby. And, three months later.

The inspiration behind his mother’s miraculous recovery.

Her doctors still don’t know what caused Briana’s stroke, but they emphasize the importance of keeping yourself and your baby healthy during pregnancy by not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, choosing healthy foods, and staying physically active.

Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Roque Correa, Editor and Matt Goldschmidt, Videographer.

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