Houston, TXIf you have been exposed to a heparin injection chances are it was during a necessary medical procedure. Cynthia P. (not her real name) was exposed to the drug during a double lung transplant surgery. Unfortunately, she suffered a stroke during the surgery. Like many people who experienced Heparin contamination, the side effects Cynthia endured were devastating.
"I didn't even know about Heparin until my double lung transplant," Cynthia says. "My surgery was on May 23, 3007. They [doctors] automatically put me in ICU on a ventilator. But, I didn't wake up from the anesthesia as they expected me to. My husband noticed I was using my right side [of her body] but not my left side. Doctors suspected that I had a stroke.
"I knew there were those negatives that could happen with my surgery. They did an MRI and confirmed that I had a stroke. The doctor was concerned about what caused the stroke because they were very thorough ahead of time—they were right on the money with all the tests and I should have been fine through the surgery. They were amazed that I had a stroke.
"They did some blood work and found that I had antibodies for Heparin, which is given during surgeries to prevent blood clots. But, if you're allergic to Heparin you throw a blood clot that shuts off oxygen to the brain.
"The first indication of a stroke was that I didn't wake up as expected. I remember that I couldn't speak and I didn't know why I couldn't speak or why I was in the hospital. I didn't remember the transplant at all. The stroke took my short-term memory.
"The surgery was on Wednesday and by Saturday, I was taken off the ventilator and I could communicate. My speech was affected pretty severely at first, but it improved. I still have numbness on the left side of my mouth. I was also throwing my left foot when I walked, so the therapist put me in front of a mirror and showed me what I was doing.
"I lost the use of my left hand. In the hospital, my left hand was so heavy that I couldn't hold it up and it dislocated my shoulder and caused me back pain. I just had double transplant surgery and had incisions in my chest, but all I complained about was how bad my back hurt. Doctors put my arm in place and taped it up until therapy could help me. Now, I can hold it up, but I cannot type. The fingers on my left hand don't work. So, to peel a potato, you have to hold it in your left hand and peel with the right but that's not possible for me. I can't put my earrings on. The assistance that my left hand gave, I don't have any more.
"I did a lot of therapy so I can hold the hand and arm up. It doesn't dangle any more but I have no use of those fingers and it's been almost 2 years.
"I wonder if the Heparin they gave me was not good. I had some permanent damage from it but I'm back to work. Of course, I work for my husband, so other employers might not have wanted me back.
"The doctor said that the stroke was caused by the Heparin. We would have had no idea, otherwise. At first, the doctor didn't know what caused the stroke and the nurses in his office said that they went through torture because he was determined to discover the cause of my stroke. Then, the doctor came to my room and said, 'We determined what caused your stroke. You are allergic to Heparin.' I understand it is a rare thing, but it did cause my problem.
"My mouth is still numb. It doesn't give me too much trouble, but I will lose food out of the left side of my mouth, because I don't feel the food there. I also have many canker sores because I bite the inside of my cheek because I don't feel it. I'm reluctant to do public speaking because of problems with my speech. I gave my mother-in-law's eulogy—but I prayed for a good day before that. I still have some problems with my speech.
"I don't know that there is a test that can be done ahead to show if you are allergic to Heparin but if you are allergic, my goodness! It complicated my recovery from the transplant. I spent an extra week in the hospital for therapy. It's worth it to find out whether or not you're allergic to Heparin and discuss it with the doctor.
"If it happened to me, it can happen to someone else. I want to spare them that struggle. It was devastating to have that stroke."