Alessandra Cantuária de Araújo. Neuro-Cranio-Vertebral Syndrome. Filum Disease. Descent of the Cerebellar Tonsils (Arnold-Chiari Syndrome Type I). Idiopathic Syringomyelia. Disc disease.

Published by ICSEB at 28 July, 2017

Surgery Date: 28 February 2017

Twenty years. That is how long Brazilian Alessandra Cantuária de Araújo had to wait before getting the right diagnosis. The patient suffers with the Arnold-Chiari Syndrome Type I, idiopathic Scoliosis and Syringomyelia. Her body was hurting due to the conditions and she had headaches often, as well as other Symptoms. She talks to us about how she saw many different doctors in this testimonial and how they informed her that the origin of her complaints was to be found in diseases such as fibromyalgia, rheumatism, trigeminal neuralgia or depression.

“They did not know how to treat me anymore, so they decided to refer me to psychiatrist because `my soul was ill and body suffering´. But I don’t have depression, or fibromyalgia, or rheumatism or any other disease; what I have is called Chiari Malformation”.

After doing more tests she found out that other than the Arnold-Chiari Syndrome Type I she had Scoliosis and Syringomyelia. That’s why she started to research theses conditions and that is how she found a testimonial online where somebody was talking about feeling much better after having undergone the procedure in Barcelona. “I researched so much before coming, I read many testimonials and never found any that would say the contrary, not in Portuguese or in other languages”, she explains.

Alessandra decided not to undergo the decompression surgery as she had been recommended and travelled to Barcelona for her operation. She tells us that six hours after the surgery, her symptoms had already changed: the headache, the pain in neck and shoulders had disappeared as well as the pressure she was experiencing in her nape. Moreover, her strength had returned to her hands and legs.

“Here, as well as in Brazil, no one promised to cure the disease, but to stop its progression; in this way, the condition does not get worse. But I am telling you: my symptoms have improved a lot, up to the point where I can say that about 80% have disappeared. I now have a new life and I going to get ready to live it without pain, even if I don’t know how to do that. I did not know what it was like until the 28^th of February.”

 Alessandra would like to encourage everyone to spread information about the procedure of the Sectioning of the Filum Terminale so that more physicians can be familiar with this method. To end, she thanks her family and friends for their support, and also Dr. Royo “a person who does not measure the sacrifices to spread the improvements of his patients, to make the method known, wishing human beings all the best”.

She also expresses her gratitude towards Dr. Salca, a man of “a simplicity, generosity and humanity that cannot be measured”. The patient also wants to thank the Brazilian contact person , Marta Orsini, and the entire ICSEB team, a team that according to her “embraced and welcomed us”.

E-mail: [email protected]