Please Help Alana Get Her Life Back

The 26th May 2015 was a normal day, Alana and I (her father) had been out before heading to the mechanic to get something checked on her car. On the way someone rear ended Alana’s vehicle, to make it worse she gave Alana incorrect details! Within a few days of the car accident Alana was experiencing severe symptoms including dizziness, lightheadedness and headaches at the back of her head; as time went on these symptoms got progressively worse.

Before the accident, Alana was a bubbly vibrant person who socialised and spent much of her time working and visiting friends.

For two and a half years Alana had seen numerous specialists including two neurologists and a nuerosurgeon who were unable to help and offer a diagnosis. She had also seen physiotherapists, osteopath, chiropractor, and had acupuncture; some things worked for a few days and some made her worse.

One day in November 2017 a friend had sent Alana a youtube video about spinal fluid leaks - the penny dropped, straight away Alana made me sit down and watch this video, everything now made sense. She then found a facebook group for spinal CSF leaks and they suggested a neurosurgeon in Sydney, Alana’s GP referred her and then who saw Alana in a timely manner. (Spinal fluid leaks are rare and there was no one in New Zealand that we were aware of to help, the best chance Alana had was going to Sydney).

Alana and I spend 10.5 weeks in Sydney, she endured many different diagnostic procedures as well as some treatment, eventually Alana had spinal surgery to seal the leak.

Four weeks after the surgery Alana continued to have low pressure sympmtoms which means she felt better lying down, and increasing caffeine, salt and sugar. Then high pressure kicked in, this is the opposite meaning that Alana has headaches when lying down, she has had to take caffeine out of her diet and restrict salt. She is also on a fairly high dose of a dieuretic to help reduce her CSF pressure, without this Alana has memory issues, altered speech, seizures, bad balance, blurred vision, fatigue and sometimes loss of peripheal vision.

Alana’s surgeon in Sydney needs Alana to go back to do an invasive test to message her intracranial pressure, and then if this confirms her pressure is too high then they will need to fix that.

We really need your help to get Alana back to Sydney for the next lot of tests and a follow up treatment plan. The money will go towards airfares, food, accommodation and anything needed while we are there.