Round 2

Have been really fortunate to find a Hospital within Michigan that would treat me with a Venous Angioplasty
Round 2 found my Left Internal Jugular Vein (IJV) 80% blocked and Right IJV about 10-20% blocked, the good news is that I will be able to have follow-up.
Too early to report on progress yet. Will update on that soon when I've recovered post-operatively.

Good read about replicability in Scientific Method

Came across this link to The New Yorker, extremely interesting read about replicability of studies and publication bias

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/12/13/101213fa_fact_lehrer?currentPage=all

Good to know that my cognitive skills are on the same line as eminent scientists :)

Update Feb 2011

The New Year is here but not to Fear :) Face Reality THEN CHOOSE FAITH

Continuing my exploration of life's disturbances.
Research continues into MS/CCSVI/Lyme Disease and so many other possibilities. Given that my initiation into all this was Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM), I've gone back to square one of the jigsaw.
Have recently had Bronchitis, so took the opportunity to concur some time with antibiotics (doxycycline 100mg twice a day).
Amazing thing is my balance is improving slightly, as is my speech,swallowing and to a lesser extent my fatigue.
Thank you God.

Successfully completed an online course today :)
Understanding Evidence-based Healthcare: A Foundation for Action. By Kay Dickersin and Musa Mayer. John Hopkins Bloomberg School for Public Health.
Pleased with myself.

I read this morning a letter online with CCSVI Locator about a couple who traveled to Mexico for Venous Angioplasty. I love the mutual support that both husband and wife display and that they have the presence of mind to trace the dollar comparisons of treatment with Disease Modifying Drugs,(CRAB's) with Venous Angioplasty. I have MS and am unemployed. Have recently started an online course learning about Evidence based Healthcare because I would like as others have done to present the case that Disease Modifying Drugs DO NOT benefit/change the progression of MS, we have been sold untruths about the CRAB treatments. Correcting venous flow in Internal Jugular Veins and the Azygos vein may, and the data is available.

Potted History:)

Dx, Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis following Tetanus Vaccine 2003

THEN

Was Dx with RRMS (Michigan.Aug 2009)

Discontinued Copaxone injections after 2mths and Neurologist visits In April 2010.

It does seem to me that Medical Science, and I use that word lightly relating to MS and it's current accepted Medical treatments (Disease Modifying Therapies) are meaningless in that you can't conclude much if anything from it's research studies to date as evidence-based healthcare because it isn't.

Unfortunately to date those overseeing the healthcare of those of us diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis have not had our best interests at heart (Knowingly or not).

My conclusion is that all through this process there have been no definitive Dx's ,tests or treatments to address Medically MS.

So on to CCSVI:

Started my own investigations into CCSVI per Dr Haacke's (Physicist) protocols and analysis earlier this year:

1. MRI/MRV/SWI (Michigan) April 2010)

2. Doppler Ultrasound (Barrie Canada, June 2010)

3. Venous Balloon Angioplasty (Maryland. US, June 2010)

I have some kind of Reflux in my IJV's, it appears that there is no stenosis, but that I may have valves or flaps at the base of the IJV's that cause reflux. I have had a slight improvement in my balance, and am now 3mths post angioplasty. Of course no one knows what the natural progression of my illness would be, so this is all spurious debate at best.

The CCSVI movement needs to be and will be accountable with evidence-based healthcare.

I remain supportive of and advocate for CCSVI diagnosis and treatment.

Need to now eat and study humble pie and it is so tiring but probably essential, although I have a research background and can review a certain amount of data, advocacy requires you to go one step further particularly with Healthcare. So I'm completing a short short course on Evidence-Based Healthcare online. I am becoming operational with Advocare Et al.,LLC, (www.advocareetal.com)