Hi Sara
I am in the UK, just had a closure but I did have a suspected TIA. My
GP has been fairly unaware of anything to do with PFOs and tried to
tell me they are rare, although I think an incidence of 1 in 4 is not
rare. I have just asked for my daughter to have the bubble test
because if she ha a pfo it will affect whether she can be on the pill
etc. and I will ask if she should go on aspirin - but I will phone the
heart nurse at hospital rather than ask my GP. Why not phone the GUCH
to ask what help you can get? http://www.guch.org.uk/
Const.

--- In PFOSupport@yahoogroups.com, "theresacarr2003" <sarahcarr@...>
wrote:
>
> Hi
>
> My name's Sarah, I live in the UK, and am 40. I've had migraine with
> aura since being a teenager. They used to be fairly infrequent, but
> worse these days. Also, in the last year, the auras (visual) have
> started lasting longer, into the headache phase (not days but
> certainly hours), which I've found very scary. I told my GP the first
> time it happened, but she was very unconcerned, just said it was a
> normal part of my migraines getting worse. But I sill feel very
> uneasy about this. I'm also feeling 'aura-ish' a lot of the time (no
> visual disturbance, but that spacey/dizzy feeling).
> I'd wondered for a while whether I might have a PFO, partly as my son
> (11) has much more serious congenital heart problems. I volunteered
> for a research study at Manchster university here abourt PFO and
> mgraine, and now know I have a moderate-sze PFO (I had a chest scan
> with the bubble test -- not a trans-oesophageal one, which I
> understand is the definitive test). But no-one seems bothered about
> doing anything about it -- I don't think I could get it repaired here
> in the UK unless I had a stroke, the thought of which terrifies me --
> with 4 youngish kids to look after, plus I'm a freelance
> editor/proofreader, which obviously requies linguistic acuity. I
> asked if I should start taking aspirin, but GP said no need (I've low
> risk factors otherwise -- low blood pressue, don't smoke, not
> overweight etc.).
> I'd really appreciate any advice on whether I should be doing or
> pushing for any more, or whether I should just relax and get on with
> life.
>
> Thanks very much
>
> Sarah Carr
>