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As we settled into our new home, we proudly displayed the
Milestones & Mementos
of our once-thriving antique car hobby and Awards, treasuring the memories associated with it. However, the harsh reality of Valerie's devastating medical challenges abruptly curtailed a major part of our passions, marking the end of a cherished chapter in our lives. |
Valerie's Medical Realities...
This image, captured two months prior to our move was
taken at the AACA Nationals in Hershey, PA. It holds special
significance as it was taken by the same European friends
who supported us during my back surgery in Europe in May
2014, highlighting the enduring bonds formed through shared
experiences and care.
Valerie meticulously documented the adverse effects of
the generic drug Levofloxacin, evident in her handwritten
notes from January 2015, where she starkly labelled her
prescription bottle as "Poison." Known for her vibrant
health, her friends and medical records attest to her
vitality prior to this medication; however, after starting
the prescription, her health deteriorated significantly,
marking a distressing turning point in her life.
2016
Surgery....
In November
2016, facing severe pain and an
inability to walk, Valerie underwent
foot surgery, where the surgeon was
taken aback by the condition of her
right foot. The procedure revealed
significant damage due to missing
cartilage, necessitating a joint fusion
of the top of her foot and two middle
toes using titanium steel, reflecting
the extent of her health decline
following the Levofloxacin treatment.
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Our
Trip To
Europe...
| On October 13, 2017 we flew to Europe for a two week trip where Valerie wobbled and nearly collapsed once we landed in Munich. |
2017:
Surgery...
| Valerie and I would see a European neurosurgeon who had operated on me in 2014, and after carefully examining her, he scheduled her surgery for November 7, 2017. During the procedure, he placed two Cervical Chromium-Titanium Artificial Discs, which successfully realigned her neck's structural height and curvature. This intervention not only alleviated her drooping head but instantly relieved her pain, her difficulties swallowing and breathing, ending the spasms in her neck and shoulders. |
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Backstories To The Above...
Following Valerie's surgery, we traveled to the medical resort area of Bad Fussing, where Valerie was amused to find a portrait strikingly similar to her, where friends prompted her to pose next to it. Later, an elderly woman approached us, her eyes glistening with emotion as she gazed at the portrait on the wall. With a wistful expression, she turned to us and softly asked, "I was once beautiful, wasn't I?" evoking a poignant moment that captured the fragility of beauty and memory.
2018 - 2019 Surgeries...
Valerie faced numerous health challenges, including pain and limited mobility in her right foot and dexterity issues with both hands, culminating in a diagnosis of dislocated thumbs in February 2018.
After months of research, we found a key physician in North Carolina, leading to her receiving the first Chromium Titanium hand joint implant in August 2018, with the second hand being addressed in December. However, her struggles continued as we turned our focus back to her foot, discovering more missing cartilage that required two additional surgeries by 2019.
She'd also deal with an unexplained knee problem that baffled doctors, but she ultimately had her knee replaced in October 2020 at the DRK Charite in Berlin, leaving us to reflect on how unforeseen issues unfolded despite initially thinking her health troubles began with her first surgery in 2016. |
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Next: How Could
This Have Been Allowed ?
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