Brenda

Because of plasma based treatments, I have a great life and am able to continue doing the things I love. Without the treatments, I would probably be in a wheelchair by now or using a walker.

I was terrified

My symptoms came on very slowly, with weakness in my legs, cramping, and muscle twitching, but it wasn’t slowing me down and I thought I could just wait it out. However, things got worse, and eventually I felt like I was moving through sludge any time I walked. I finally saw my doctor, and she sent me to a neurologist.

After a multitude of tests, I was told everything was pointing to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)—which terrified me since it causes paralysis and can lead to death in a few years. I remember driving home on this beautiful sunny day, and all I could think was, “Oh my gosh, am I ever going to see my kids grow up? Will they inherit ALS?” I was prescribed a medication, but then the doctor told me not to take it until I went through genetic testing. We found out I didn’t have the ALS gene, so we tried one more option: plasma treatments.

I reached my turning point

One of my symptoms was “foot drop,” which basically meant I had a hard time lifting the front part of my foot. I’d try to lift it, but my foot would come down hard. One day, after receiving the plasma treatments, I was walking behind my husband while shopping. He turned to me and said, “I don’t hear you coming. Your foot isn’t smacking the floor like it normally does.” At that moment, we realized my body was responding to the plasma treatments. The fact that the treatments were working led my doctor to the correct diagnosis. I had a rare neurological disease called multifocal motor neuropathy.

Plasma treatments were a game-changer for me

Plasma treatments have helped my body stop attacking itself, and some of my nerves have even healed. I can’t do everything I did before, but the treatments have given me the freedom to live my life, look forward to the future, and know everything is going to be okay.