A True Plasma Protein Therapy “Miracle Case”

 

In September 2020, Stephanie and her husband found out they were expecting their second child. What should have been an exciting time for their family, quickly turned frightening as Stephanie began developing numbness in her feet and legs.

Stephanie spoke to her doctor, who referred her to a neurologist for testing, and she was ultimately told that her symptoms were simply pregnancy-related. Over the next several weeks, Stephanie’s condition worsened. The numbness continued to progress up to her hips, making it difficult for her to move around without assistance. It was at that point that she knew this was something not related to her pregnancy.

“I remember walking around my kitchen” Stephanie recalls, “and I had to hold onto everything to make it through my kitchen to the next room.”

Frustrated with being told to “rest” and “take it easy,” Stephanie decided it was time to get a second opinion. Fortunately, she was put in touch with a specialist in New York. After one virtual appointment, Stephanie was instructed to pack a bag and head to the emergency room immediately.

Three months after her symptoms began, and a full day of tests later, Stephanie was finally diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) — a neurological disorder that attacks nerve tissue and interrupts signals from the brain to the body. If left untreated, CIDP can cause total paralysis, leaving its victims in a physically “frozen” state.

The doctors began plasma treatments the next day. “After the first IVIG treatment in the hospital, I noticed some of my tingling was starting to go away,” she says with relief. Four days later, Stephanie was sent home and continued to receive plasma treatments every three weeks.

In May 2021, Stephanie and her husband welcomed a healthy baby girl to their family. Today, Stephanie continues to receive plasma treatments twice a month and is on the road to recovery. This experience has taught her how important it is to advocate for yourself. “Sometimes you do have to question the doctors,” she says, “You do have to push for certain tests and do your own research.”

Before she got sick, Stephanie didn’t know what plasma was used for or how important it was. Now, she calls it a “miracle drug.” “It’s such an important part of my life,” she says, “I just want to get the word out to anybody.”