Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Inge gets fixed a second time!

Here is my Dutch friend Inge's report on her second procedure, this time in Belgium:
Hi Ted!

Everything went very well. Dr. Beelen managed to get half of the old stent out (I have it here in a little container, swimming around..It looks like a shrimp in barbed wire...Some of the scar tissue came with it, so it looks rather dodgy).
He couldn't get the upper part out, because that was grown into my vessel (wall? I do not know the word). He placed a new, covered stent in the old one, and that is sitting tight there. Everything flows again. My neck is till a little sore, but that will pass.

On the left side he ballooned a 40-50% narrowing. And he completely opened up my azygos (100% narrowing). I am especially glad with the latter, as I understand that the azygos is quite important for mobility. I already experience some slight improvements:
  • I can flex my right foot when lying in bed: before my leg felt like a rock and I couldn't move it.
  • I can lift my right foot better: instead of dragging, I can make the beginning of a step.
  • I stand more stable and more powerful (especially under the shower)
  • I feel a sensation in my right hand: it feels less numb
  • I can pee more easily
  • it seems that the spasms are less
So impressive hey?

I am very very glad I had the 2nd surgery.

The interview went well: do you know when it is published?

We'll email! Take care
X
Inge

2 comments:

  1. Hello Inge, Congratulations on the 2nd try. My name is Brad Hinton from Dorchester, N.B. and I had mine done at the end of Sept. I had a chance to talk to Dr. Rafael Moguel for 23 min. after my procedure. I was his 179th. and he told me that the procedure had changed since he started-he didn't entirely trust imageing anymore. A problem in my right jugular had presented itself on the imaging but as it turned out he found a stenosis in my left jugular as well. If you have the time it's probably worth having a look at the video. You can find it at www.wheelchairsnotwanted.ca
    Please ignore the chunky pasty white boy lying on the bed.We've had over 1000 views on it already. One of the early spin offs of my treatment was that I could carry on a conversation with 2 intense professionals who had basically just saved my life. Prior to that a 5 min. conversation with one person had grown problematic, let alone two with an interventional cardiologist and a trauma doc. All in all a home run. They are trying to figure out what to use instead of a conventional stent. They will shortly be at the 400 mark staying very close to the Zamboni protocol. A really neat place to do it. And when I travel I will accept no substitutes. It's either WestJet or stay home. Another video on there is Westjet personnel moving a conscious corpse like myself across 3 seats and doing it with great class and aplomb. I see the discussion on CCSVI changing dramatically very shortly.
    And as I said, I wish you the best in your rehab. I'm finding little changes every day and I am thoroughly enjoying a Christmas I never thought I'd see.
    Brad Hinton from Dorchster
    506-379-6284

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  2. Great news, Brad... and I hope you have the best Christmas ever!

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