For Ryan Gleason, nothing was more important than being a father to his 3 boys….soon to be 4. As his wife, Annette’s, due date came closer he found himself with a lingering sinus infection. Just as their world was to be graced by their 4th child, Ryan and Annette had no idea that life would change in a different way. Here are a list of some of his personal symptoms and a brief version of the path Ryan took to get a final diagnosis.
Some of the symptoms he showed over time:
- One morning in September he woke up with a headache and just feeling off. He figured it was from his sinus infection and went on into work. By the time he got home, he was exhausted and the headache was worse.
- The next working he woke to realized he had double-vision. The went straight to the ER. The doctor examined and admitted him, uncertain of what was happening. Test after test and nothing. Suddenly his hands and feet were tingly, numb with pins and needles feeling and his balance was off. Barely able to move, the tests still showed nothing. 12 hours later, the doctor shared that he believed Ryan may be suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. Within hours an MRI showed the Ryan didn’t have MS. The doctors then suggested Ryan head straight to the Mayo Clinic…400 miles and 9 hours away.
- Ryan’s mother, Kay Korpi, joined Annette and Ryan for the trip. When they arrived a new symptom arrived. His speech changed and he had difficulty pronouncing words. Five days from his first symptoms, Ryan found himself meeting with speech therapist, physical therapist and a battery of tests. The doctors felt it was something neurological and called in Dr. Margherita Milone, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic.
- After a cat scan, nothing showed up so the doctor ordered a lumbar puncture test (also known as a spinal tap) to see if there was an infection….and she got her answer!
Final Diagnosis:
- Miller-Fisher Syndrome – rare, auto-immune disease of the nerves. Healthy people have antibodies that fight off harmful bacteria or viruses. With patients that have this syndrome, the antibodies fight them off but then attack the nerves as well.
What is ahead for him:
- His immune system had been working hard to fight the sinus infection he got 10 days before and then it went on to effect his eyes’ nerves. The disease spreads like a wildfire and within hours can destroy the lungs’ nerves.
- With medicine (IVAG) of healthy antibodies that overpower the others, in 2 days he felt things were getting back to normal. In five days he headed home. Other than the double vision, he was almost completely back.
A few months later, their 4th son was born. Now back to his old self, aside from persisting vision issues, Ryan is thankful to be able to hold his children again knowing that he will be around to watch them grow.