We need more physicians doing work like Dr. Garvis
This was the accessible exercise the botanical art watercolor teacher gave me, and the work I did before and after my surgeries. It's a great visual example of how my vestibular system was impacting my motor skills and vision!
I was a victim of a hit and run traffic v pedestrian in 2022. I received emergency care right away and was found perseverating and in and out of consciousness at the scene. Imaging showed a mild TBI with a hemorrhage that quickly stopped bleeding. At 12 month post injury I still wasn’t getting better and was getting worse. I lost use of my legs at one point due to blood pooling leading me to understand I have a connective tissue disorder and this coincided with a debilating migraines with dizziness and light sensitivity. I was experiencing double vision and sound hurt. I could hear my internal organs at a high volume and in order to cope I turned into a dark room wearing sound canceling headphones. My TBI physical therapist and TBI specialist were at a loss. There were very few developmental optometrists in the area and my TBI specialist wasn’t convinced I needed this evaluation. I had to advocate fiercely to get an out of network referral and I paid out of pocket to be assessed and was found to have a horizontal misalignment. The eye doctor assigned the appropriate prisms to treat and relax my eye muscles and told my I should see symptoms improve in about 2 months. I regained significant cognitive function but was still bound to a dark room in noise cancelling headphones to cope. The optometrist recognized that I may be experiencing symptoms of SCDS or third window syndrome and referred me to a neuro ent surgeon, Dr. William Garvis who order scans of my inner ear and found that both my left and right ears needed surgical repair. The surgeries would be 6 months apart and I scheduled right away. Immediately after the first repair I regained more and more function. Dr. Garvis had also recognized that I was showing symptoms of PPPD and prescribed me effexor which made a great improvement before my surgeries. I had consulted with a vascular surgeon weeks beforehand who was ready to stent me for venous compressions and I was not convinced that was what the best course of treatment was. Dr. Garvis is one of the few surgeons researching and documenting SCDS repair surgeries and he presented the information to me with great care and showed me my scans and where he identified the injuries. He spent over an hour and half with me answering my questions and providing research and education and didn’t try to convince me either way. After the first surgery I enjoyed five months of semi regular function and I was able to go camping with accommodations and lots of light protection and sound protection. At about the six months mark my symptoms began increasing again and during my follow up Dr. Garvis tested my right ear and concluded it was also injured. A month later I completed the second repair surgery and quickly regained even more function. I was at my year follow up and was a completely different person. I continue to see a decrease in PPPD SYMPTOMS and I tolerate light and sound much better
In 2023 I had to withdraw from an art class because I didn’t have the motor function to participate without significant discomfort, last spring I completed an online continuing education class and I am continuing to regain function of my eyes as I tolerate more and more sound and light. We need more physicians doing work like Dr. Garvis.