I am grateful for my CCSVI diagnosis.

The anatomy of normal jugular veins.

vs

The anatomy of abnormal jugular veins.

The picture directly above shows dye being pumped through the veins of my neck.  The arrows are pointing at my jugular veins.  If you look closely at the red arrows, you will notice that there is "banding" or lines on these veins, this is the sign of back flowing blood.  Blood is trying to empty from my head to my heart through my jugulars, but because of the narrowing of my jugulars (notice the blue arrows), the blood has to backtrack to smaller supporting veins.  Dr. Hewett in California said this is "Classic CCSVI" (Chronic Cerebral Spinal Venous Insufficiency).

So on July 20, 2011 in Costa Mesa, California, Dr. Arata performed a balloon angioplasty of both my jugular veins to hopefully break the membranous valves in the narrowed areas which will encourage better blood flow.  During surgery, he was able to see that I also had an abnormal valve in my Azygos vein (a vein running up the right side of the thoracic vertebral column) and so he was able to angioplasty and break the valve in that vein as well.  YAHOO!  That only made sense to me because that is exactly where this entire journey began; pain and tingling in the center of my back. 

I am hopeful and happy!  I am grateful for the technology that even allows this knowledge and treatment to be possible.  I am grateful that there are doctors who are willing to perform such a cutting edge procedure.  I am grateful for the encouragement of friends and family.  I am grateful for the tender promptings of the Holy Ghost.

The only worry I have is that my veins will restenose (which is a real possibility).  But as I was reading my scriptures this morning my fears were replaced by faith with this one simple verse found in Mosiah:

But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, 

and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his 

own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage."

That is all the reassurance I need.

UPDATE ****  Dec 7, 2011

 I am grateful for improvements.  I am sitting here feeling immense gratitude.  I have had major improvements in my health that leave me often weeping with joy.  The CCSVI procedure has increased my energy, my memory, my ability to handle heat, and reduced my paresthesia (pins and needles sensations).  

The pins and needles sensations along my spine are almost gone.  Most of the time I only feel

pressure, which I hope will leave in the future.

I increasingly remember dates, phone number, highway exit numbers, birthdays and doctor names 

that were plaguing me.  My thoughts were becoming like loose sand 

falling between my fingers.

When I get out of the shower, I feel great.  No fatigue after.

I can make a meal and not have my back completely 

go into spasms and knots within 5 minutes.

I can do multiple activities in the day.  I used to only be able to do 

one thing and then I became extremely exhausted.

And

I wake up in the morning and actually feel like I slept.

I rejoice!!!

I still have chronic muscles spasms and nerve firings in my legs, but they are less intense and usually go away after laying flat on my back for several minutes.  I still get mini headaches daily, and sore muscles (especially in my back), and tingling in my hands and feet when I exercise and when I wake up in the morning ... but everything is at a manageable  level now, so I feel grateful and blessed!  

I do have to mention that all my symptoms worsen for a special time of the month, so the mental roller coaster still continues a little but I am learning to expect certain retrogressions and not let them upset me.  There is no doubt that I have had amazing improvements. I am not cured, but I am healthier, faster, stronger, sharper, and ultimately I am a better mom and wife! And I look forward to more improvements in the future. If something happens to me down the road, oh well, I will enjoy the ride while it lasts!!!

UPDATE **** Feb 28, 2012

 I am grateful for my CCSVI free body that allows me to be crazy busy.  Sometimes I have flashbacks of what my body was like when I was the music director for our elementary school play last year.  I remember clearly how I could hardly make it through a practice because my legs and back ached, my feet and back would tingle and numb, my muscles would spasm and vibrate, my head wouldn't process simple information, and my entire body would feel like I was walking in boots made out of cement.  Now ... I go to my play practices and I have oodles of energy to spare.  At the end of the day I fall into bed tired, but a good tired.  And I wake up refreshed!  Amazing!!!  Thank you Heavenly Father for leading me to relief!  Thank you for giving me my endurance back!