Plasma Protein Therapy Brought Dave Back From The Brink

What began as a strange tingling sensation in one leg quickly progressed to numbness and weakness in both and even his arms. It took 3 neurologists and more than a year of tests to finally diagnose him with a rare neurological disorder that targets the body’s nerves.

For most of Dave’s life, he was healthy and active. He exercised frequently, was in great shape, and had just gotten engaged. For a man in his 50’s, life was pretty good.

One day, seemingly out of nowhere, Dave’s left leg started tingling.

He initially chalked it up to a side effect of aging and some back pain he’d been experiencing. Not long after, on a routine errand run, his legs gave out and he found himself laying between two cars in a parking lot, unable to move his arms or legs. He was paralyzed, muscles refusing to work. He had no idea what was wrong or what to do. After a rest, the strength came back a bit and he was able to safely get home.

Over the next few months, Dave saw several doctors and specialists, and was put through every test imaginable to try to figure out the cause of his worrying symptoms — from X-rays and MRIs, to blood tests and even a spinal tap. But no one could identify the cause of his debilitating symptoms.

During this time, his condition got progressively worse. As each day progressed, he’d find himself increasingly tired and eventually unable to move. Relatively simple activities like going up and down the stairs were becoming monumental tasks. He began resigning himself to the fact that life as he knew it was over, and that he may end up in a wheelchair. He was beginning to get depressed.

But Dave’s third neurologist refused to throw in the towel. He finally was able to diagnose Dave with CIDP and begin Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatments.