K - Analysis and Self Diagnosis
As an Engineer I strongly believe in cause and effect and also that the human body is an engineering marvel.
Computers are blatant copy of the brain. The CPU is the main Brain, the RAM of the computer is the Brain Stem. Also in engineering design it is common to have all vital parts in pairs or with a second one as a stand by in case one fails.
We have two eyes and two ears to protect the human body from danger and attacks. and we have a pair of lungs and a pair of kidneys too so that life can manage even if one died. We also have two hands and two legs.
Unfortunately I never liked chemistry and have always been a Physics nerd and I am at a huge disadvantage as I do not know much bio chemistry nor did I ever study biology or Human Physiology or anatomy to help me analyse what my body is going through.
Cannot blame doctors as their education does not teach them how exactly the human body functions. medical education is basically learning the anatomy and physiology of the body and then a whole gamut of diseases and symptoms and tests to establish a diagnosis
and available treatments and medications to treat the symptoms.
I have never heard of medicine that cured anyone of diabetes. Medicines are there to treat the symptoms and prolong your life but never to cure a patient of the disease.
If at all permanent cures are to be found it is more likely to be through Surgery and not medicines.
Of Course I know every doctor will disagree. But then this is my opinion as a patient a Complex one at that.
Over the last 20 years, I must confess I have become a semi doctor and have graduated from the Google medical school and trained nby Dr Google.
I have got a full self diagnosis of my own health condition.
Read it if you care.
Basically it boils down to a few congenital defects I was born with.
First of all on hind sight I realise my Mother and aunt died after similar stokes to mine except there was no MRI those days to visualise blocked vertebral arteries.
The other defect I was born with is a small jaw and a very narrow airway. I cannot open my mouth big enough to bite even a banana.
When doctors tell me to open my mouth and say Aaaaaa, they complain they cannot see my throat.
My right vertebral artery must have been as thin as a thread and from birth my life has been supported by the left Vertebral artery which became very strong and dominant and when blood flow in the right was too low there was retrograde flow going up the basilar down the right vertebral into the AICA and PICA arteries to supply blood to the brain stem.
When blood flow totally seized in the right vertebral I suffered a Brain stem due to hypo perfusion of the PICA ( Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery) stroke but the minute they thinned the blood with heparin and later with Warfarin and Plavix blood flow to the Pica region was restored and resulted in a proliferation of new capillaries rebirthing me almost making me 95% Ok. ( Angiogenesis is the physiological process through which new blood vessels form from pre-existing vessels, formed in the earlier stage of vasculogenesis)
Obviously I must have have suffered from Hypo Perfusion of the Pica right from birth. This explains why when at school and at IIT I had serious memory issues and I also went into such deep sleep that I forgot to breathe and I could never wake up for classes in the morning.
Today now that I am on two blood thinners Warfarin and Plavix and maintain an INR of 2.5 ( meaning 2.5 times as thin as normal blood- more like viscosity of fluids) I also ensure my BP is elevated to about 145/90 just to make sure the blood pressure is adequate to support retrograde flow from left to right vertebral and into the PICA
Everything went undiagnosed until 1989 when I fell asleep at reception area waiting to see a doctor at 6.00pm as Anand was having fever. The doc asked me "Do you fall asleep like this all the time?" and I said "Don't know why Doc, I sleep well but I am still sleepy all day and fall asleep at traffic lights often only to be tooted from behind and getting startled".
He said you have sleep apnea especially if you are snoring. I said yes my wife complains but I don't know. I had never heard of sleep apnea then. I was part of the Pioneer in Sleep apnea Dr Sullivan who was researching and using vacuum cleaners in reverse o keep peoples airways open to prevent snoring which is caused by throttling of the airway
Sleep apnea is caused by my narrow or constricted airways and small jaw. Every hour I was having about ten apneas or more before treatment. Apnea is when there is no oxygen supply to the lungs and hence the blood and hence to the brain. The Brain sends out an SOS saying I need more Oxygen and the auto immune system kicks in and this means a huge "Adrenalin Dump" to jolt me back to life. The Liver kicks in to support and dumps Glycogen.
When in a Panic Mode the organs are not sure if the Brain needs more oxygen or more Sugar as the brain thrives on oxygen and sugar.
Glycogen is a large multi-branched polymer of glucose which is accumulated in response to insulin and broken down into glucose in response to glucagon. Glycogen is mainly stored in the liver and the muscles and provides the body with a readily available source of energy if blood glucose levels decrease.
Hypo perfusion of the Brain stem IMHO opinion would also have resulted in ADRENALIN DUMPs to keep me alive
I have enlarged Adrenal Glands and these adrenalin dumps caused my Diabetes Post Stroke, Doctors diagnosed my border line sugar problem as a TYPE 2 Diabetes and started me on metformin which did not work and then introduced insulin.
My wife Mithu will black out if she took ten units of fast acting insulin. I was eventually taking 30 units of fast acting insulin NOVORAPID three times a day and 45 units of long acting insulin LANTUS 2 times a day total 180 units of insulin.
I still woke up with BSL of 10 in the mornings which is 10X18=180 fasting BSL and extremely high. My BSL never came down and my weight went up from 80 to 110 kgs al because of adrenalin dumps and heaps on Insulin.
I had to find out through Diabetes Fora on the internet that what I had was not Type 1 or Type 2 but Type 1.5 Diabetes also known as LADA. Latent autoimmune Diabetes in Adults caused my what is commonly known as metabolic syndrome. My Endocrinologist did not want to hear about it and condemned the internet.
My Respiratory and sleep apnea specialist was more open minded and said I think you may be on the right track and referred me to Metabolic Clinic for a full study and appraisal. The secretary who was the gatekeeper of the Metabolic Clinic phoned and told me "Sir we cannot take you into this program as you have to weigh at least 135 kilos to be enrolled".
When there was hypo-perfusion to the PICA region the body feared that the artery could rupture and cause a massive haemorrhage and so the Bone Marrow Kicked in and produced a ton of Platelets to clot the blood in case of an emergency from bleeding in the brain.
When I had the stroke my Platelet Count was 890 (150-300 is normal) and this led to the diagnosis of Essential Thrombocytosis. I asked the haematology Professor why it was essential ?. Clever question he said. "To be honest" he said "it means we bloody doctors do not have a clue Ram, all we know is what medicine to give you to bring the platelet count down. it is a bone marrow reaction in response to demands from the autoimmune system".
Fifteen years post stroke, the auto immune realises that the risk I face is hypo perfusion of the arteries in the brain and not haemorrhage and that means high platelets are dangerous. Now exactly the opposite is happening. The spleen is with holding the platelets and not allowing them into the blood stream. Suddenly my platelet count that was 890 in 2000 dropped to as low as 35 in 2015 and my spleen is now enlarged and huge putting enormous pressure on all organs in my Chest
Hypo perfusion of the Pica artery and Severe sleep apnea meant double whammy resulting in unbelievably abnormal adrenal dumps which over the long has has screwed up my pancreas and liver and gal bladder.
My sleep apnea clinics where they do studies are pathetic. No one can ever sleep with a millions wires connected to your face and chest and on a hospital bed; as a result the results are worth less. Every sleep test I have been to told that the required cpap pressure was 12cms water gauge and I was still having 7 apneas an hour means seven adrenalin dumps an hour, in other words the body was in emergency mode 7 times per hour of asleep.
Fortunately a new Sleep apnea manager was appointed at the Pharmacy that supplies CPAP machines and allied supplies. This man John has sleep apnea himself and he agreed to get me off the fixed presure as recommended by the doctor and use my machine in the Auto Pap Mode means the machine decides what pressure I need to minimise the apneas.
Last three years my apneas are down to 1.5 down from 7. and even this 1.5 apnea is probable caused say when I turn around in bed from my back to my sides and not real apneas. I also sleep only for six hours a night from 2.00am to 8.00am but good solid sleep.
I have now realised that most doctors are too specialised and treat just the symptoms related to that part of the body. and these specialists of mine do not talk to each other. Australia's Medical system is good but the system is being rorted and manupulated to a large extent by the very medical fraternity that is supposed to care form peoples health.
For example I found out that my previous cardiologist did not treat patients with pace makers yet the man would not refer me to one who did, only because I am constant revenue four times a year .
Over the years I have sacked 17 neurologists as none of them had probably even seen a real brain they just use symptom sorters for various brain related diseases like Alz, MS, dementia, Parkinsons, Motor Neuron disease, Migraine etc etc and decide on what tablet to give the donkey..
I have sacked many gastroenterologists, sleep specialists, endocrinologists, ENT specialist and GPs. The minute I feel I have become a number generating funds for these gold diggers I go looking for better ones and this is my secret to survival.
On 7th August I am seeing a new Resp and sleep specialist as my lungs are playing up.
I have a new GP she is a Young Tamil Doctor from Madras. I told her I have become a Number with my current GP and am looking for someone who will have an open mind and look outside the box to see what is happening wholistically. She is only about Anand's age.
She said Sir I am still not that experienced but my promise to you is I will look after you like my own Dad. She has been good and willing to listen and act. Another God Send
I have three sisters who are all doctors. my fav was the one just younger to me she was brilliant and a Gold Medalist at MMC Madras a Gasterenterologist as well as an MD Anaesthesia in UK.
Unfortunately she passed away in 2012 leaving a big void in my life. Right now I can say this sister has been replaced by my Neurologist since 2012 Dr Penelope Spring who is my neurologist as well as my general Physician only because she is extremely smart and I begged her to help
She was the one who spent two hours studying my blood test results over 4 year period and diagnosed me as having a bone marrow disorder called Myelo Fibrosis which if left untreated could become Leukemia which is full blown Blood Cancer.
There is no Name for a disease caused by life long adrenal dumps except a generic one like "Auto Immune Disease"
I just have to grin and bear it and live happily until I kick the bucket.
