An Airdrie woman has a new lease on life thanks to a life-changing operation in Mexico.
Gayle Clayton was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 30 years ago and has suffered from debilitating symptoms including excruciating pain, weakness in her left leg and numbness in her hands and feet for at least five years.
“This affected my whole life severely,” she said.
“I had trouble doing what I loved. I couldn’t work in the garden or play with my grandson, I had severe pain and extreme fatigue. My family slowly watched me go downhill and it was very upsetting to them.”
On Aug. 25, Clayton went to Cabo San Lucas to receive Chronic Cerebro-Spinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) surgery.
“It’s scary going to a different country. You don’t know what their medical system is like but it was a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone suffering from MS,” said the 56-year-old mother of two.
As many as 75,000 Canadians have multiple sclerosis. The disease can slowly rob individuals of the ability to do the most basic of physical acts.
The procedure cost about $15,000 but Clayton said it was worth every penny because she felt a difference in her symptoms the minute she woke up in recovery.
“I woke up with no pain in my left leg at all,” she said.
“I had feeling back in my hands and feet and I could even see better out of my left eye. Almost everyday I am discovering that I can do things I couldn’t do before the surgery. I am looking forward to walking and doing all the normal things. I have a new lease on life.”
After the surgery, Clayton is able to raise her left foot, something that hasn’t been possible for 25 years. She can now cross her legs and walk up and down stairs unaided.
Clayton’s sister and Irricana resident Gwen Morris said she sees a remarkable difference in her sibling.
“There are so many things she couldn’t do before that she is having no trouble with now,” said Morris.
“It is amazing to see. We are all so happy for her.”
The surgery is a controversial procedure, known as the liberation treatment, which is not available in Canada. According to Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the MS Society of Canada, the liberation treatment involves an intervention, venous angioplasty, that is potentially dangerous and could lead to stroke and heart complications.
A recent report by the two organizations said “there is little support for the notion that ‘venous insufficiency’ for the brain or spinal cord contributes to the development of MS.”
Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq recently said she intends to follow the recommendations of the report and not devote federal money to clinical trials at this time. However, several provinces, specifically Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador, have reaffirmed a commitment to fund the clinical work.
“This is being denied to me as a Canadian,” said Clayton, who has lived in Airdrie since 1967.
“There were so many Canadians down there and even another woman from Airdrie. We saw miracles happen down there and it is hard to believe our country is not taking the surgery seriously. They are being ostriches with their heads in the sand.”
Clayton will now undergo months of physiotherapy to rebuild the muscles in her left leg, but she said it is all worth it to be able to play with her grandson.
“The first time I was able to hold him after the surgery, he felt lighter because I was stronger,” she said with tears in her eyes.
