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Parry Sound MS sufferer gets good news

PARRY SOUND - After years of hoping for any sign of her condition improving, Dawn Smith can now move her fingers.
The Parry Sounder who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 1983, found out previously blocked veins had reopened, during a trip to Rhode Island for surgery.
Smith, who traveled to the United States planning to have a liberation treatment to open blocked jugular veins, constricting blood flow to the central nervous system, was told she was one of four people out of 400 patients, whose veins reopened without the treatment.
The trip was her second venture to Rhode Island, after being turned away the first time due to Cellulitis, an infection in her legs. When the doctor looked at her veins as part of a pre-surgery procedure, he was pleased to tell her it wasn't needed.
"He told me it was probably because of the baby aspirin I've been taking," said Smith Wednesday. "He was amazed."
Previously, Smith suffered from severe pressure headaches, leg spasms and couldn't move her body from the neck down.
Now, she is able to lift her shoulders up and down, her headaches have subsided, her leg spasms aren't as severe and when she's not feeling too hot, she can move her hands.
She can even manage to pull her arms back towards her body, if they are stretched outwards.
For Smith, it's a miracle she'd only ever dreamt of.

Patients in whom MS was diagnosed — the disease affects about 85,000 people in Britain — have experienced seemingly miraculous recoveries on learning the true cause of their illness, in some cases after decades of ignorance. Paralysed patients have regained the ability to walk and others have overcome debilitation, headaches, confusion and short-term memory loss with treatments involving blood-thinning drugs such as aspirin and warfarin.

But then Joan: why was she a candidate for the procedure the first time? I assume a blockage was obvious. Does the aspirin 'unknot' the veins too? It is said she's been postponed because of cellulitis.

But then Joan: why was she a candidate for the procedure the first time? I assume a blockage was obvious. Does the aspirin 'unknot' the veins too? It is said she's been postponed because of cellulitis.

Let's return to facts:
3 - Catheter venogram and IVUS are required to identify all problems. (These tools require a skilled operator and investigation of all possible veins).

I would guess that even the most skilled operator would say he/she/we are yet at the stage they can identify "all" problems.

if this woman regained mobility from taking aspirin, it's not placebo (she didn't know that would do anything, she thought she needed venoplasty) It's most likely coagulation related, like APS, because that's what aspirin changes. And, she doesn't have CCSVI.