Joaquina Herrezuelo. Idiopathic Syringomyelia. Cord Traction Syndrome. Multiple discopathy, especially C6-C7 and D9-D10.

Published by ICSEB at 25 July, 2012

Surgery date: June 2012

Hello, my name is Joaquina, I´m 54 years old and I am from Valladolid.
My problems started in 2008, when I broke my shoulder in a work accident. At the insurance they already found the syringomyelia through a resonance, but they didn´t give any importance to it. From when I had the surgery, everything started to go really badly. I started out with a back ache (when I had never had any problems), I wasn´t able to move, I couldn´t sit, walk… The pain was unbearable, I went to the emergency room, but the only thing they would do was to give me pain medication and tell me that this was coming from the shoulder, all this repeatedly. I got toxic hepatitis from all the morphine patches and other medication and I was admitted to hospital because I was about to go into a hepatic coma. I was slowly deteriorating, I wasn´t able to walk, I walked with the trunk inclined forwards and dragging my legs without being able to bend my knees, I had a lot of back ache, I wasn´t able to breathe, and I starting to have trouble to speak and I´d choke frequently.
Every time I went to see a doctor they told me the same thing, that the shoulder was the problem, they would send me from one doctor to another because they didn´t know what was happening with me, I started out with a traumatologist, the pain management clinic, neurosurgeon, internal medicine….
None of them knew what was the matter with me, time went by and I felt worse every day, I couldn´t go out onto the street anymore and would spend hours and hours sleeping. Besides, every time I went to see a doctor I´d leave there feeling worse, because nobody would listen and even the treatment I received was humiliating, it seemed as if I was crazy.
I went to the emergency services once again and they admitted me to internal medicine, they found disc herniations  and syringomyelia in the thoracic spine, they told me to have surgery only for the disc herniations, but luckily I said no, because they did not take the syringomyelia into account, only the disc herniations and who knows how that would have turned out, so I discharged voluntarily from hospital.
As the traumatologist was tired of seeing me without being able to offer any solution and being aware of my bad shape, he sent me to see the head of neurosurgery and he immediately he told me that I had a mechanic myelopathy with syringomyelia and that there was no treatment for me available in Valladolid. AFTER FOUR YEARS!!!!
They referred me to Burgos and there they told me that there was no treatment for me either, after insisting for a long time I achieved that they referred me to the Vall d´Hebron Hospital in Barcelona. My state was getting worse every time, light, noise and people bothered me….I wouldn´t even let anyone hug me  because I was hurting all over.
Time went by and nobody called from the hospital, so I got hold of a telephone number of a doctor who works there and also has a private practice, I called and she told me that according to my symptoms they wouldn´t be able to do anything for me there and she very kindly gave me the number of the Institut Chiari, telling me that there they would be able to help.
I called immediately. Barbara answered and she explained very kindly that I did not have to go there, that I should just send all the tests I had. That same morning I sent all the resonance images and tests and four days later she called to tell me to come for a consultation and that they would be able to help me.
I went the following week and I had surgery the next day, on 5 June 2012. After the surgery I felt a great relieve immediately, I set myself straight and was able to walk bending my knees and walked normally, without dragging my legs, the aches have been disappearing slowly. I went for a check up one week ago and they confirmed that I was much better and that I could start rehabilitation, I´m starting next week. I´m leading a regular life, I go out into the streets and don´t get tired, before I wouldn´t even manage four steps.

I´m very pleased and grateful to Dr. Royo and his team, they brought life back to me and have given me a second chance, if it wasn´t for them I would be a vegetating in bed. It is unbelievable because seem to be another person.

THANK YOU.

TEL: +34 983401373
E-mail: [email protected]