Saturday, October 16, 2010

Deja vu all over again!

For the first time in years, I have a virus, cold, touch of the flu or some other little nasty that has me wiped out. Since it’s going through my entire family, and we all have the same regrettable symptoms, I’m confident in my diagnosis. The last time I felt this tired was before my angioplasty procedure in June. That may be the one and only perk that PwMS get. There is enough news on the CCSVI front to feel discouraged. I didn’t need a virus to remind me how I loathe MS fatigue. It’s a wake up call for me that enough progress is not forthcoming to provide the treatment for CCSVI. A 72 hour dose of this one symptom liberally forced upon each and every neurologist, or other professional standing in the way of our collective goal might be an advantage in reaching our one legitimate demand. Angioplasty for all, anything less is unacceptable!
We are not unreasonable. Anyone who has any doubt or incertitude concerning the angioplasty has the right to refuse it. The rest of us have more than sufficient reason to undergo the treatment if we so desire. All the misleading medical rhetoric so far does not change the truth. To force anyone to live with blocked and narrowed veins is indefensible. The statistics of authentic procedures speak for themselves. Blockages and strictures would not be elusive if the tests were standardized and provided by knowledgeable, practiced professionals. Until the procedure is performed by only well trained interventional radiologists or vascular surgeons we will continue to see and hear the heart breaking stories of failures. Every successful procedure is anecdotal, non-scientific and subject to dismissal as deception or delusion. Each less than optimal result is cogent evidence that CCSVI is a hoax designed to give false hope to the hopeless. Every attempt to delay treatment also prevents the doctors who are eager to proceed from gaining experience and developing their technique.
There is no uncertainty or doubt as far as I am concerned with CCSVI resulting in the MS symptoms I have lived and fought with for almost 17 years. I don't need one video, blog, or website to witness anything for me. I know what I had, and I know that I have no appreciable symptoms of it now. If it is not the result of angioplasty, then it would by process of elimination have to be a certifiable miracle. That would surely open a new can of internet worms. Many people know about CCSVI, yet far less than it would appear to those of us perusing the internet. Youtube and Facebook apparently do not lend much credibility to the not so rich and famous. Those willing to look beyond Google know that there is much more to the back room drama concerning this debate than is appearing in status updates. Whatever it is that needs to happen to submarine this impasse, has not yet occurred. To date, what mainstream coverage we have been afforded has been severely compromised by deceptions of those not on our “friend” list. The hypocrisy, evasion and double speak is almost tangible. I’m off to the kitchen for a cup of chicken noodle soup. It is purely anecdotal evidence, but it has been rumored that it may speed my recovery of the common cold. I’m a patsy for well known placebos.

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