Well, that was interesting!

Okay, I’m back (the short one?).  Well, to say this has been interesting is a serious understatement!  Here is the skinny on my veins …. First, there are five major veins draining the head:  two vertebral veins, two jugulars and an azygous vein.  Before coming, I had an ultrasound report that showed my 2 vertebral veins have slow drainage and jugulars are okay but perhaps not compensating for the others as they should.  ALSO the Calgary doctor suggested that my azygous vein may be blocked as indicated by the slow flow in the other veins.

SO – it turns out that Simka only assesses three veins – two jugulars and the azygous because these can be fixed – vertebral veins can not be fixed with current medical treatments.  And once I realized this, the hope was that jugulars could be expanded slightly and azygous vein could be angioplastied to compensate for the others.   In the ultrasound here in Poland, it was reported I had problems with the valves in my jugular veins but no stenosis (narrowing).  Okay – so I go in for treatment with fingers crossed, thinking they will do something – maybe even just to be nice since we paid all this money and came all this way ;-).  Hmmm … no can do, says the surgeon, who has to follow research protocol and my vein issues (in the 3 veins they look at in order to treat them) aren’t bad enough to take the risk of treating.

He and I had this conversation in the operating room while I was sedated (gotta love that Demerol) – perhaps I could have presented a more convincing argument if not under the influence.  So while it was not what I had hoped, I did understand and know much more about this whole thing now than I did when I started.   In fact, the whole experience is not at all what you imagine (kind of like having a baby) and this is both surprising, interesting and disappointing.

There were six of us in our treatment group – now bonded for life in our pursuit for health.  Three had stenosis and were treated – with mixed results.  Three of us did not meet the treatment protocol – so we’re on the hook for buying the drinks since we get some of our money back;-).

Solving the puzzle continues  …. Have to say I am feeling surprisingly good physically and mentally – where I should be more upset?  Perhaps the vein catheter they used to examine me fixed that turbulence they were seeing … no way of knowing but feet and hands are warm, face is flush and I feel, I don’t know, kind of up.  Who knew? 

Thank you ALL so much for your support – it means a great deal!  More later ….