Compartment Syndrome Treatment

Hi Everyone,

First of all thank you for visiting my page! My name is Lauren. I am 26 years old and live in Cincinnati, Ohio. I am a graduate student (#poor). This page is set up to help cover the medical expenses for a rare procedure for compartment syndrome. When someone asks me to tell them a little bit about myself the first thing that always comes to my mind is that I love playing sports. Growing up I would say I was pretty shy, but sports taught me self-discipline, how to be a team player, how to be a leader and to never give up on sports or school. I grew up playing soccer, basketball, softball … and just about any physical activity that involves legs. That is where my problem comes in. I have compartment syndrome in my legs. In high school and college I always felt mild pain in my shins during soccer season. It wasn’t until about 2013 or 2014 when that pain became so severe I couldn’t walk or climb stairs without my shins feeling as though they were going to burst out of my legs.

Compartment syndrome is a serious condition that occurs when there’s a large amount of pressure inside a muscle compartment. There are 4 compartments, all 4 of mine have compartment syndrome in each leg.

Compartments are groups of muscle tissue, blood vessels, and nerves in your arms and legs surrounded by a very strong membrane called the fascia. Fascia does not expand, so swelling in a compartment can result in an increase in pressure inside the compartment. This results in injury to the muscles, blood vessels, and nerves causing A LOT OF PAIN!

I had a fasciotomy (compartment syndrome surgery) in November of 2014 to relieve the intense pain in my legs. It did not work. Surgeons give you a 50/50 chance of it being a success. About a month after surgery the doc gave me the okay for resuming physical activity so I tried running and working out again.  My legs felt and looked different. I tried playing soccer, however, after each game I felt like I was walking on nothing but my ankles. My shins and foot would go completely numb. On multiple occasions I have been too scared to drive home from a game because I could not bend my foot to drive my car. I knew it was not better. I went back to the doctor for another pressure measurement test..AKA the huge needle test (worst possible test ever) that showed I still had compartment syndrome at high pressure levels.

I realize I am getting older and my soccer days are coming to an end but working out and being active is my life. I have not, and will not, find something that will bring me as much joy as being able to play sports with friends or having the ability to just do simple things like walk my dog pain free.  This is something many of us probably take for granted.

Today, I am sucking up my pride and asking for your help. I have done everything the doctors and therapists have recommended without improvement. Just recently, after my zillion Google searches I found a doctor who specializes in chronic compartment syndrome. He created a one of a kind treatment called the McGinley Method which is designed to permanently treat compartment syndrome. He is only Doctor in the world who provides this. This plan uses botox therapy to relieve pressure in between the muscles and nerves. As you can imagine botox isn’t cheap and regardless of how it’s used, its not covered by health insurance. It typically takes 3 treatments for a permanent fix, however they have had someone need 5 treatments. Over 75% of patients who have Dr. McGinley’s botox treatment have reported positive outcomes and have gone back to their normal lives! I so desperately want this. I am out of all other options.

The first treatment out of pocket expense is roughly $8,000. Touch ups are within 3 months of your first treatment if needed and are roughly $2,500. Second treatment or anything beyond 3 months is roughly $5,400 each time. Mind you this is just straight out of pocket, this does not cover the medical expenses that my insurance should cover, such as MRI and CT scans. I will still need to reach my high deductible plan and a percentage of the Stress MRI, CT scans, contrast and ultrasound vein mapping along with cost of travel and stay to get to Wyoming each time.

Thank you again for reading this. Please feel free to ask me any questions! I hope I was able to teach you all a little something about compartment syndrome. I have attached more information about the McGinley Method and compartment syndrome in general below.

To all who donate, I am forever grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Lauren

http://wyomingmedicalcenter.org/pulse/2013/10/23/the-mcginley-method-casper-doctor-revolutionizes-treatment-for-chronic-exertional-compartment-syndrome/#comments

 

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-exertional-compartment-syndrome/basics/symptoms/CON-20026471

 

http://www.healthline.com/health/compartment-syndrome#Types3