Donate to Chris's Path to Recovery

Here we go, August 23, 2021, Chris woke up not feeling very well. His symptoms started to grow that week and he started to get dizzy. By Saturday, we went to the ER. They were not helpful... claimed he had a double ear infection.

Chris was recommended to see a chiropractor who immediately identified his C2 twist and a neurologist who helped get him on carbamezapene. By November 2021, Chris officially was let go of his job.

My company offered a benefit called Second Chances. This is where the company gathers your medical records and sends them to top doctors in the country for advice. We signed up for this benefit on Dec 29, 2021, and the benefit was canceled on Jan 1, 2022. They came back with additional MRIs and testing, which is what started our 2022 journey.

In 2022, we explored 2 ENTs, Audio testing, Vestibular Therapy at 2 places, Optomistrist Specialist, an Integrated ENT, and in June 2022 we found out Chris has a conversion issue (his eyes cross over each other; where a normal eye zeros in on a word).

Chris spent a lot of time sleeping in 2022. If he wasn't having fireworks go off in his head or a clicking noise in his ear, he was constantly dizzy, had vision flutters, and was shocking of the brain. His symptoms were so bad that you could psychically see what level he was at daily. This year was the hardest year I've ever had to live through, watching someone go through so much and having no answers. We started to do movie date night weekends and paint nights, and we started to enjoy being at home more.

In the middle of 2022 Chris found an article that described his symptoms, and by the grace of God one of the docs named was in Cincinnati (40m from where we lived) so we made an appointment. The appointment was set for December 20th, 2022.

!?!?! FUN FACT !?!?!

Do you realize how long it takes to get the doctors appointment once you call.... MONTHS!!!

On December 14, 2022, we met a new neurologist who took an interest in us and was not happy with the care we had received before. He run some tests, and he had people who could read the results. This doc also made mention of our Dec 20th appointment saying you know the guys 70 years old. We responded THAT'S THE POINT!

We met with Dr. Pensak (the old guy) who said in our first meeting that Chris was the third case he's seen in his 40-year career. After much more testing, Chris did not have this issue where if you cut the muscle in the middle ear, the dizzy and clicking could go away. At the same time, Dr. Goldstick was rerunning numerous tests, and nothing came back.

At the holidays of 2022, I changed jobs. As we were waiting on appointments, my new company also offered Second Chances benefit. Results came back saying to look into anxiety because at this point, the anxiety I've ALWAYS seen in Chris was getting worse. He did get on meds, but he wasn't happy about it.

By Spring of 2023, we had no idea what to do... my career moved us back to Canton, OH, and we started at the Cleveland Clinic. We started with the neuro department, who wanted Chris to see a Dr. Cherian, who is known as the dizzy doctor.

On July 25 2023, we saw Dr. Cherian, who started a conversation that no one wants to hear, maybe this was something Chris was going to have to live with forever. He prescribed him Gabapentan to see if that would have any effect.

At the same time, we found that an eye place in Stow, OH (40m away) specializes in medical eye issues, and they offer eye therapy. Chris started therapy again to work on his conversion issue.

We followed up with Dr. Cherian on April 24, 2024, but for a year, we didn't know what direction to go as Chris was trying out meds and waiting for doctor follow-ups and eye therapy.

In August 2024, the most amazing thing happened... Chris saw a reel about the upper cervical spine and the symptoms they were describing he had. He tries to look this thing up regularly but is usually unsuccessful. It's such a good feeling when he finds something meaningful, just like Dr. Pensak. Again, we were so blessed by God to have a doctor 40m away... Dr. Besso. On August 15, 2024, Chris started Upper Cervical Chiropractor.

And finally, the words you wanna hear... a doctor who said the magic words, "I think we can fix you." Dr. Besso focuses on the atlas bone, which was 5 degrees tilted and pushed forward. Besso doesn't like seeing anything over 2 degrees. And then the next arrow that hit my heart, Dr. Besso said, "She (the first chiropractor in 2021) was so close with his C2." Two weeks before starting with Dr. B Chris started doordashing. He was able to contribute a little so when Dr. B and him talking about stopping meds, you know we were down for anything. So he worked with doctors to back off of the meds he was on. He was never able to doordash before because movement made him dizzy, so driving and even moving around the house could make him dizzy.

It is safe to report that after 4 months of Besso care, Chris's atlas bone is finally under 2 degrees, and his symptoms are 50% less. The "fireworks" and "clicking" are gone, and his dizzy has relaxed.

Fast forward to 4 wks ago... Chris went to go get his eyes re checked with Dr. Grant, and his entire prescription has changed. He then found another article, and the action items are already getting attacked. One of the to-dos was to do eye therapy, and Chris started therapy this week, again for the third time. And... it recommended a med that I am a supporter of (anxiety med), and Chris said I have some in the cupboard, so he took one. About 45 minutes later, he felt even more relief.

Now that Chris has had some relief, he has started doordashing. This has allowed him to contribute, get out of the house, and they to get back to normal. He is not allowed to go out when he is doing really badly. He has learned to live with a constant light dizzy, so as long as it doesn't pick up, he goes out. About 5 months ago, I got a second job because you got to do what you got to do. So I am now your local barista at Starbucks in Jackson, Noble Pond.

Chris has always been my emotional support, my filler of my swiss cheese, and he makes my circle whole... these are all things I've said for almost 2 decades on how he makes me feel. I don't wish anything like this on even my worst enemy because not having a label of what this is has been the hardest to navigate. And frankly, to my friends and family who have listened to me over the years... thank you!

As he starts eye therapy and he continues to see Dr. Besso, we are finally running into our financial end. I understand why people lose their homes and go into mad debt with medical bills because this is where we're at.... we're not losing our home, but the continuation of him getting the help he needs is halting, and so I put my pride aside and I am asking for help. Chris's medical bills for the next 6 months is approx. $8000.

Dr. B - $83 an appt every 2 weeks - $2158 for 6 months

Eye Therapy - $154 an appt every week - $4004 for 6 months

As you can imagine, none of this work is covered under insurance.

This equals $6158... I am hoping we could possibly raise $8000 because this would hopefully carry us to the end of the year.

In conclusion, we just want to say thank you for reading... thank you to everyone who donates. It's not unappreciated in any way! If you came here to read our story and know what's been going on... there it is! This was one of the hardest things I've ever written because I had to live in my feelings and the past the whole time writing it. Please continue to pray!