BARRIE - Sunday was a perfect day for a walk along the waterfront.
Mike Tkachuk grabbed a water bottle and headed out with wife Roberta to catch a few rays.
And he happily left his cane behind.
Tkachuk was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007, and this June 15, he underwent surgery in Rhode Island he says has relieved most of his symptoms.
“I was officially diagnosed with MS in December 2007, but probably the majority of symptoms were there two years before that,” said Tkachuk, 38.
A heavy equipment operator on a construction site, Tkachuk said he remembers when things first started to slow him down. “I was walking back from a coffee break at work and I was dragging my right leg. As time progressed, my symptoms got worse.”
It was to the point where he decided this spring to finish the season and then go on disability.
Like many who suffer with MS, Tkachuk said he also had fatigue and “brain fog” which made it hard to concentrate and make decisions.
“The fatigue was like having bricks tied to my eyelids, and sandbags pulling them closed,” he said.
“I would feel the same when I woke up as when I would go to bed – it didn’t go away.”
While it was a bit of relief when his illness was diagnosed, Tkachuk didn’t like the idea of a future in a wheelchair.
“We changed our lifestyle and bought a condo here in Barrie,” said Tkachuk.
He said daughter Samantha, now 13, took the news all in stride. “It was shock initially, but she adjusted well. Above and beyond what I expected.”
But he still had some fight in him and decided against living in the condo for the rest of his life. In fact, he sold his condo this spring and just moved into a sidesplit last week. “I bought it before knowing about the surgery, with the anticipation of having to go up and down the stairs. I didn’t want to give up anymore, and knew the house could be retrofitted.”
Last year, he heard about Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) from a television program. The program said MS patients have blocked veins in their necks, and a simple angioplasty-type surgery can clear the problem. Early reports showed MS symptoms diminished.
Tkachuck put his name on a wait list for surgery in Albany, New York, but was rescheduled a few times, with his new surgery date moved to June 2012.
He soon found out about Barrie’s Steve Garvie, however, one of six local CCSVI patients who was treated by Dr. Sandy McDonald at Royal Victoria Hospital, before the hospital put the project on hold.
This year, Garvie founded the CCSVI Foundation and has created a list for MS patients in Canada, while fundraising to help them afford the costly procedure.
“I had a Doppler exam done by Dr. McDonald April 15, then met Steve, and had an appointment in Rhode Island June 15,” said Tkachuk. “It all happened very fast.”
Leading up to the surgery, Tkachuk said he was very nervous.
“We weren’t sure if he’d try to run,” said Tkachuk’s wife Roberta.
“I don’t like surgery, needles or blood,” said Tkachuk.
While on the operating table, Tkachuk said he was able to stretch out his leg. “My calf muscles have been locked and while on the recovery table, I was able to stretch my legs like a kid. With no pain.”
The surgery lasted 45 minutes, and he was two hours in recovery. “I stayed one more day in the U.S. for a follow up appointment, then we drove home.”
Once back in Barrie, Tkachuk said he ran from the car in the parking lot. It was the first time he’s run for 10 years.
Tkachuk now leaves his cane behind on walks, and said he tackles the stairs with greater ease.
Normally, he went down the stairs by tediously placing two feet on each step for balance, while hanging onto the handrail. Now, Tkachuk can take his dog for a walk, holding only the leash and stepping forward on the stairs, one foot on each step. “I know for sure over time, it’s going to get better,” he said.
Tkachuk knows there may be some skeptics out there, but even if his recovery is a mind-over-matter placebo solution, he doesn’t care.
“People can see my recovery, they can’t deny it,” he said. “The Monday after my surgery I went back to work and the guys couldn’t believe how good it was.
“I had shut myself off and didn’t want anyone to know me. There are people who hide their MS.”
With the Canadian government approving trial tests on MS patients last week, it’ll be easier to spread the word, said Tkachuk.
Proposals from interested doctors for the trials are expected later this year and the tests should begin in 2012, said Dr. Alain Beaudet, president of the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.
“I want to find out who to tell and scream about it. It may not be a cure, but MS drugs mask the symptoms and make everything worse. If it ever came to a point where (my veins) were blocked again, I’d do it 1,000 more times,” he said.
Tkachuk said he agrees with allowing people the option to have the surgery done in Canada, where it only costs $2,500 versus $7,000 in the U.S.
The one thing he’s noticed after the surgery is the emphasis of how important family is. “There are small things I can do physically I couldn’t do before. I know I’m not a burden anymore. I can participate and be there.”
For now, he enjoyed a simple walk outside even though he was a bit slow at it.
“I’ve overdone it the last few days because we moved. I got a lot (of unpacking) done already this morning,” said Tkachuk.
http://www.simcoe.com/news/article/1038312--small-steps-come-with-big-reward-for-ms-patient