MICHAEL CASSARO M. D. EFFECTIVELY TREATS ALL CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS
A STORY OF LIFE
and continued to build up my strength.
IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, I found a doctor who took a nerve from my tongue and plugged it into the seventh cranial nerve spot in hopes that I would regain animation in my face, which would also allow me to close my eye so that it wouldn’ t dry out, which might result in completely losing the eye. There was no guarantee that it would work, but it was a risk I was willing to take. The surgery helped restore some symmetry to my mouth and allowed me to close my eye enough to keep it naturally lubricated so I wouldn’ t lose it, but I still had no control over movement of the left side of my face. The lasting effects are similar to having a permanent case of Bell’ s Palsy.
In July 2001, I started having vision problems accompanied with headaches. I went to the eye doctor to see if I needed new glasses and through a routine eye exam, he saw a tumor and immediately called my neurosurgeon. Within the hour, I found myself in a MRI machine where it was confirmed that the tumor had grown back.
The doctor said that within three years the tumor had already grown back to the size it was when he originally diagnosed me. This time, he said, we must remove 100 percent of the tumor and being a quadriplegic was a very real possibility. And there was a high chance I would not survive the surgery.
I had a lot to think about and a decision to make. I decided I would not subject my loved ones to watching me go through surgery again and possibly taking care of me for the rest of my life. I would just continue living my life until God called me home. My family could grieve and then move on with their lives without the burden of caring for me. I know they wouldn’ t hesitate to care for me, but it’ s not fair to them, so I decided against surgery and to just let fate take its course.
IN AUGUST 2001, I found a doctor who was willing to try a surgery on me that was not commonly performed on brain tumors. It is called stereotactic radiosurgery, which is a noninvasive surgery that basically delivers a massive dose of radiation to destroy a tumor. It won’ t remove the tumor, but the hopes are that the radiation damages the DNA of tumor cells enough so the tumor cells lose their ability to reproduce.
Because this surgery was not common with brain tumors, I had to sign papers saying my family couldn’ t sue if I didn’ t survive. Today, this surgery is fairly common.
Thus far, the surgery has been a success. I have not had any complications, although there remains a spot on my brain that I have monitored about every two years.
Since the last surgery, my life has changed in many ways.
I’ ve dealt with – and internally overcome – my physical handicaps. I hated my half smile and would not allow anyone photograph me. I couldn’ t go watch my friends play softball because it killed me to not be able to get out there and compete with them.
Yet, now, I’ ve come to terms with who I am and accepted me for me. I’ m still the same person on the inside. I had to cut a few people out of my life who couldn’ t see through the outside, but I also gained quite a few friends who didn’ t know me before my surgeries and physical changes. They accepted me for who I am and what I believe in.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, I met a woman who didn’ t see any of my imperfections. She only saw me for who I am. She didn’ t care about my money
CHRONIC PAIN RELIEF... THE RIGHT WAY!
MICHAEL CASSARO M. D. EFFECTIVELY TREATS ALL CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS
• HEADACHES • PELVIC PAIN • BACK PAIN • FIBROMYALGIA • AND MORE
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