Thank-you for all your prayers and kind words prior to and after my
procedure. It has been just over a month
since my procedure and it has flown by like crazy. I wanted to post an update on how things are going
for me since my procedure.
Dr. Arata at Synergy performed the procedure this time. The Dr. who
performed my procedure last time at this facility specializes in other vascular
issues now. Dr. Arata decided he would
be the only Dr. at his office preforming this procedure because of his
experience in this field, he has done extensive research into CCSVI and why
many people with MS have this autonomic nervous system disorder. I found
this experience totally different than the one I had in March of 2011. He
explained in depth on how Zamboni had it right about the veins in CCSVI, but
that it isn’t that they are just narrow but that the Autonomic nervous system
has switched from pumping blood through the jugulars, azygus and sometimes
renal veins in people who have abnormal veins, in my case they’re kind of
warped around each other, my nervous system found an easier route at some
point and disregarded trying to go through the veins they are supposed to go
through, whether it was at some point narrowed, blocked a bit, because of the
valves making the veins less accessible I’m not sure of that part.
He explained so much and I was trying to grasp it all, this is stuff I will
research more on in the future. Basically by performing this procedure, it
resets the system so the blood flows properly.
They performed so many tests prior to and the day after my procedure to
check on differences for comparison. One of the major things they noted was
that my foot temperature had gone up 5 degrees; I knew something was different
in my feet because they were pink instead of no color like Rod says. The
other thing was this crazy sweat test they perform. They put these pads on your arms, legs and
feet and inject a gel into these pads that are strapped on and it tests how
easily you sweat. The test the day before was so painful, like burning
pins in my skin as it heated up. I asked her if this is normal and she
said it hurts for people who have a hard time sweating (part of the ANS system
too). This test took about 20 mins. They day after my procedure she
did it again and they didn’t even have to tell me it’s changed cuz the test
only felt uncomfortable and was finished in 10 mins. When they did give me the results, they told
me there was not only and improvement but that it is in the normal range
considered for anybody.
I had an MRV done the day prior and one the day after. I got a DVD
of both and haven’t had time to look at them yet.
God started bringing this all together a few months ago. It started with healing on the inside. I had started to feel really inadequate; I
could do less and less mentally and physically.
I received poor MRI results in the spring showing I had several new
lesions on my brain. I kind of knew it
as my cognitive function and ability to handle stress had plummeted. I started reading a book called “Battlefield
of the mind” by Joyce Meyer and God revealed to me how I may not be perfect in
health but there is nothing wrong with me and everything right with me. I had many years of feeling helpless, being
unable to do the things I saw everyone else doing. When I’d have an “MS” day/s I’d feel like a
bad Mom, wife, daughter and employee.
The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and
destroy. I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its
fullness. John 10:10 (Good News
Translation)
God started transforming me inside first. Before I even planned this procedure I was
given a prophetic word by a guest pastor that my storm was almost over and that
God was going to turn my mourning into dancing.
As much as I loved to hear that, I said to Rod, my storm is almost
over? I didn’t know what or how God was
going to work in me until it all started to unfold. Well soon after that it all started. As you probably read in my prayer request
email it all came together so seamlessly.
Looking back I think about how long it takes people to get in for this
procedure, how Rod asked his boss to work remotely for 5 weeks just 2 weeks
prior etc... I’m still in awe.
God works in so many ways and usually the way you think it will happen
is not the way God has it planned. Why
would God do it the way I thought it should be done?
I
have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to
give you the future you hope for. Jeremiah 29:11 (The Message)
The Symptoms (Before and After so far)
I’m giving all the details here, as I know my family, friends, and
others that may benefit or want to know how it’s worked for me. I am normally a private person but I’m just
putting my personal, somewhat embarrassing stuff out there. I am in no way perfect after this procedure
but I do have substantial improvements!
**More energy (this was one of the worst symptoms I dealt with daily,
not just tired but debilitating fatigue. I would have a nap almost every
day just to continue for the rest of the day. It would hit just as bad if
it was mental fatigue from work/stress as if it was physical. I took anti
fatigue pills endlessly which have so many side effects. The last 4
months I was taking these pills daily and sometimes more than once daily if I
had something I needed to attend or house work etc…)
Since the procedure I have had one nap. I’ve been tired but
nothing like the fatigue I felt.
**On top of that I
have noticed real changes in my “brain fog”. Some days I would know
exactly what’s going on, but other days I could listen or read something and be
like, “what the heck, I don’t get this”. This was always worse when I
didn’t feel fully rested. I still need to
exercise my brain cuz I notice that if I get a bit stressed trying to figure
things out that I start to shut down and stop trying.
** Being fully rested was an issue all the time even though I had
daily naps. I almost never slept through the night, It started because I
had to get up to go to the washroom and I think my body reset itself and
thought I should not be able to fall back asleep, cuz it could take hours
sometimes. Then after a while one bathroom trip became 2-3 every night,
the worst thing was I felt like I had to go so bad but I didn’t. Now
since my procedure I have only gotten up two nights to go to the bathroom, and
I think it’s partially because I’ve been drinking so much tea.
**My right hand and
forearm (left hand just a bit) were always numb feeling. It’s the hardest
feeling to explain but it’s almost like frost bite that never goes away,
sometimes painful but usually not. Unfortunately I still have this same
feeling, but Rod mentioned the week before that my right hand looks purple, he
hadn’t noticed before and I think it got worse looking but had always looked
discolored and two days after the procedure he said my hand looks
pinkish.
**I used to be
constipated, like to the point sometimes of having to take an exlax because it
had been a week and my stomach was so bloated. Now I am not.
**I had really bad
balance some days. Some days when I’d lose my balance a bit it was like
someone you see who is drunk feeling woozy and trying to catch
themselves. I’ve got improved balance, not perfect but better.
**Once a week at
least I would feel dizzy/nauseous and feel like throwing up. That hasn’t
happened.
**One big one was the
pain I had on a daily basis (this one isn’t commonly fixed by this procedure
because it is past damage and not the ANS symptoms of CCSVI, other than
headache) my pain was from head, behind ear, jaw, shoulder and then under the
back rib and above the hip. This pain would roam all the time. I’d
never have the pain on both sides but always on one side in all the places
noted. I took pain pills after pain pills trying to find the right
one. I started on this one that you have to ramp up to the dose you need
because of the side effects involved, this one helped the most but never took
the pain away. Since the procedure I don’t have pain like I did. I
can still feel muscle tension but its muscle pain instead of the nerve and
muscle pain. It used to get so bad some
nights that I couldn’t sleep. 2 days
prior to procedure I decided since I had to fast for a day that I’m quitting
all my medications cold turkey. This was something that no doctor would
recommend cuz I was on a lot that have serious withdrawal symptoms but I just
felt I need to do this. I’ve been relying on medication for too
long. So it’s not just a little relief it’s huge as I was on the highest
dose for this medication.
**Stress had started
to get bad for me, in the last year and a half, I couldn’t handle normal stress
like I should be able to, but in the last 4 months everything that didn’t go as
planned or something popped up that required me to strategize/figure out how to
deal with it was an issue. My brain and
body would just start shutting down. My MRI results had shown several
additional lesions on my brain, in the past it was mostly on the spinal
cord. The ones that were on my brain
were related to cognitive portions of the brain-- problem solving etc… I was
living in chronic stress mode. Everything at work seemed to be stressful, even
though it was my normal work life, it got to the point that I decided to give
my notice and leave my job, but opted for my Dad’s suggestion of working from
home. I don’t know where I am at with that because I’m not feeling chronically
stressed right now, but I will try to avoid anything that can bring it on. This is also something I need to continue to
pray for, I’ve developed a habit of dealing with things the same way, either
ignore it, or deal with it and let myself shut down, so I was mainly just
avoiding any potential problem.
**My legs weren’t a
huge issue prior unless I walked for a long time which they would then become
tingly and numb the next day, or if I stood stationary for a long time. I had no drive to walk around much for fear
of that feeling coming on. After walking
too long in the last week my legs have been really weak feeling, not tingly or
numb (like muscles I’ve never used being sore to the point I can hardly stand, so
I need to stop prior to it getting this way.
I just don’t know yet when it’ll happen.
I’m not used to walking for more than a short grocery trip so it’s
learning my limits in each situation.
I know I’ve been relaxing in beautiful California so I’m not in my
regular routine, already so much better, so everything else to come is more
icing on the cake I can’t have! I’ve
gone gluten free as the Dr. says that diet has so much to do with this
condition. The bonus is Rod has decided
to give it a try too, for a Dr. to convince my genius (he is an actual genius)
husband of how diet affects everything and give him facts that he doesn’t
question is a Dr. who has his research right.
Thank-you again for your love and support!
Tara-Lynn Ollerhead
1 For everything there is a season,
a
time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
A
time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
A
time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A
time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to
gather stones.
A
time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A
time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
A
time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
A
time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes
3 (NLT)
