One thing that I love doing overtime on the ward is that patient are all coherent (not all of them though :) They can talk back and make me laugh. Unlike in ICU that most of our patient are unwell. My recent experience is with an old woman who is 102 years old. When I was preparing her things for her wash, I noticed that there is a mascara in her wash bag. A mascara for a 102 years old??? Can you believe that! To make sure if she knows what it is for because she was a bit confused. I told her to used it and she did without hesitation. You know what? She did it very well, I was so tempted to used my iphone to take a photo but as you all know it is not allowed for patient confidentiality.
As you age, plaque can build up in the walls of your arteries. Cholesterol, calcium, and fibrous tissue make up this plaque. As more plaque builds up, your arteries narrow and stiffen. This process is called atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Eventually, enough plaque builds up to reduce blood flow through your carotid arteries, or cause irregularities in the normally smooth inner walls of the arteries.
Carotid artery disease is a serious issue because clots can form on the plaque. Plaque or clots can also break loose and travel to the brain. If a clot or plaque blocks the blood flow to your brain sufficiently, it can cause an ischemic stroke, which can cause permanent brain damage, or death, if a large enough area of the brain is affected. If a clot or plaque blocks only a tiny artery in the brain, it may cause a transient ischemic attack (TIA), also known as a mini-stroke. A TIA is often a warning sign that a stroke may occur in the near future, and it should be a signal to seek treatment soon, before a stroke occurs. 
