Am I Pregnant?

Wednesday I hit the 6 week post liberation CCSVI surgery.

It is a wonderful time, but tough time!

I feel amazing.

But until I hit that second milestone I always wonder?? Is it coming back?

There is a fear until about 3 months of scar tissue creating a new valve. Also we are unsure of what the long term road will be for this procedure.

No, I am NOT pregnant, and don't hold your breath. But it is the best way to help explain it. There is a time in the early weeks that it is too early to see the stick turn colors to confirm, that you could honestly go either way. Sometimes during that time you feel, "ya, this definitely feels like all the other pregnancies" then you find out you aren't and you aren't really surprised that you aren't pregnant. You just don't really know for sure.

So that is how I feel now. I am not really sure???

So unless I had another venogram to confirm (like taking a pregnancy test) I seem to continue to analyze my symptoms.

But as for now. There is no denying that my leg pain is completely gone. My energy is great. My vertigo, tremors and morning headaches are still gone.

Tingling is still there, but hey, no complaints.

So I am trying very hard to continue to put my faith in Heavenly Father and know that whatever may be...is supposed to be.

And just be grateful for each blissful moment I am given when it is there.

My New Self

So I don't even recognize

my new unblocked self.

I keep surprising myself...
a few things I have noticed.

Before:
I found waking up early the death of me.

Now:
I naturally wake up early...and REFRESHED!


Before:
I hated to cook, I loathed it because my legs hurt to stand there, my brain fog made it confusing, and my fatigue made me wonder why people called this a "hobby".

Now:
I have honestly baked and cooked more in the last
two weeks than I have in the past year.
Just ask my neighbors, and....I find it enjoyable!! No kidding.

Before:
Exercising was never enjoyable, nor is it for a lot of people. But I used to try and I don't know if it is because my poor tiny vein was trying to get blood to quickly rush through it as I worked harder, but it would cause debilitating fatigue after a short while. I used to wonder what people were talking about when they said they would become more energetic afterward. Ya..no. Not me.

Now:
I have been speed walking in my cutest form everyday on the treadmill for a half hour for the last week. I now sweat more than ever, which the doctor said I would notice. (don't ask me to explain why?) And I feel really good afterward! My fatigue isn't there like it was, I am tired, but not I have mono kindof tired. Incredible.

Before:
Showers always made me exhausted. So if I was clean that day...I was wasted for hours. I noticed it most the last couple of months, but I could say I have always done poorly in heat. When Matt and I were in Florida, Mexico you name it, I always had a bout of debilitating heat stroke. I always thought it was stemmed from my sisters red hair gene in me that made me intolerant. Also the hot bath would always help my leg pain, but in return my foot tremor would go from mild to crazy when I was in the heat.

Now:
What a difference! I can actually jump out of the shower and run downstairs to grab something out of the dryer, race back up the stairs without holding the handle, and still feel normal. This may all sound weird, but it is a huge deal to me. And my foot tremor remains unchanged when I have baths now.

Before:
I had horrible fatigue but what's worse, I had insomnia. Horrible all night insomnia for years. I have had to take Advil PM for the last 4 years, with little help. Which I have now discovered is one of three CCSVI classic signs.

Now:
I get naturally tired, (all that baking and running up the stairs catch up with me) so I no longer need anything to help me sleep. And I sleep all night long.

These all seem minor to some...
but for me I went from

tolerating life to loving life.

Day One

As we were waiting to go in to get my MRV,
Matt says so how is the test done exactly? I said, I wasn't sure....

Oh boy. I should of checked.

It was probably good I didn't do the research on this one, because I would of never attempted without sedation as that is just plain crazy.

It is much like a MRI but this particular machine is
4 times stronger
than the best MRI machine and is so specified, they won't be missing anything.

But the process...
well there needs to be some advancement as I believe I can sign up for that again.

He begins telling me to lay down on the skinny table and asks if I am claustrophobic?
um...YES.
(but I immediately realize I should of made prior arrangements to get some
"you do anything and I won't care" drugs,
and was afraid I would prolong the test if I needed to get any so...)

I followed up with,

"But I will be fine"

phuhh... ya right.

Then he said I just have a few gadgets for you then we are all set.

Gadgets?

So we began with
gadget number ONE:

He placed a hard plastic neck brace snugly placed around my neck.

Then gadget TWO:
He proceeds to place a hard plastic cage
around my face with slits to see through.
(Man in the Iron Mask- ring a bell?)

Finally gadget THREE:
A heavy blanket/contraption to lay on my chest.

Finally he says,
"Your all set! Don't take deep breathes,
you need to stay steady and still.
And the test
will take approximately 2 hours."

Are you kidding me?

So after a few panic attacks and some MAJOR pep talks I went to my happy place.
When that didn't work,
I spent the time doing simple math, reorganizing my cupboards, and reevaluated my budget all in my mind,
and anything I could do to keep my mind busy in order to keep from
going seriously mental from my new worst nightmare.

It was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

Now when I am asked if I am claustrophobic. I need to say

"yes, where are my drugs?"

Day One...Complete. (barely)

Day Two- Liberation Day

(this picture is showing how the vein isn't flowing,
in fact it started to break off and make alternate routes
and highways in order to get more blood flow.)

So the morning went fast,
and I don't remember much up to after I woke up.

I learned my lesson from yesterday
and asked everyone wearing a badge

when were my drugs coming??

So I will start there.

Dr. Arata found that my left and right jugulars were blocked/narrowed/ or stenosed. My right being the worse.
He said a normal vein size is approximately
19mm

Mine is 8mm.

Yaaa, now I know why I didn't score higher on my ACT.

He was able to snap/pop/destroy my left jugular valve.

But he wasn't' sure if he got the right side as it was so much smaller which made it thicker and harder to snap.
He said he might of or might not of.

Because it is a guided procedure, the only way to know is by feeling it snap or hearing it...

I know, gross eh?

So the bad news is within the next two weeks, if my symptoms all return we know it didn't snap open and I will need to return to get the procedure again to try again to get it to break.



These are pictures of the balloons pumped up in my vein.


So the verdict.

I feel flipping fantastic.

Leg Pain:
Mostly Gone

Fatigue:
Gone

Brain Fog:
Gone

Bladder "Issues"
Mostly Gone

Tingles
Mostly Gone

Limb Weakness
Gone

Foot Tremor
Almost Gone

Morning Eye Stabbing
Gone

Intention Hand Tremors
Gone

Heat Intolerance
Gone

Burning Skin Neuralgia
Gone

I feel like I am 15 years younger. I just feel "normal" again, and it feels amazing. I do have a doosey of a daily headache but we heard is from the blood thinner injections. He also said it could take months for your body to see all the positive symptoms.

I feel so blessed.