Some Hope

My dad has struggled with chronic back pain for years. He also has restless leg syndrome and he can't sleep. He would go to the doctor and they would prescribe him pain killers or massage therapy. About 5 years ago, he was encouraged to seek out an MRI, and it turned out his back pain was being caused by a cyst in his spinal cord, a condition called Syringomyelia. Because it is in the spinal cord, it effects his extremities in his hands and legs and causes them to go numb. It is not common, and the local doctors in the area were unfamiliar with it. He sought help from more "prestigious" doctors at the University of Utah and they ultimately told him there was no hope. They were not willing to do surgery because of the risks of paralyzation, and essentially prescribed him as many pain killers as he wanted and sent him away without further concern.

Because of the pain and difficulty with numbness in his hands, he was forced to retire early from his profession as a dentist. At the time, he wanted to seek more aggressive treatment and consult with different doctors, but the medical costs were too much and he chose to pay off debts and secure a more secure financial situation for he and my mom instead. He turned 65 this past year and qualified for medicare, so he's finally been able to seek treatment without the steep financial burdens.  Another MRI this year showed that the cyst has gotten bigger. It's cutting off circulation to his legs. A year and a half ago, he could still walk 5-10 miles while hunting and just be sore afterwards. Now, he can only walk for about 30 minutes before his legs "give out".  

My brother was able to use some connections and try to get him a consultation with the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. 5 years ago, they would not accept his case, but this year they accepted him and he went last week for a series of appointments. My mom said that that the way the doctors and staff treated him was like night and day. For the first time, they were genuinely interested in helping him, they were knowledgeable and friendly and they took the time to really listen and consult. He had 3 full days of intensive testing, x-rays, MRI's, a night at the sleep clinic, appointments with the neurologist, and even a dye contrast test done in his spinal cord. At the end of the week, they compiled all of the information and assessed the situation. Ultimately, my dad will be wheel chair bound soon. The cyst is cutting off oxygen to his legs and is destroying the nerves in his spinal cord. However, the neurosurgeon believes he can remove it through surgery and that it is worth the risks. They won't know what they're up against entirely until they've opened him up, but this is the first time my dad has been given some type of hope of treatment. From what I understand, they won't be able to repair the damage that has been done, but they can prevent further damage from occurring. They want to do surgery next month. I think we're all really nervous, but optimistic about the potential of quality of life for my dad again. Here's to a renewed sense of hope!