CSNNE's Joe Haggerty Had Same 'Cavernous Malformation' As Ryan Westmoreland
With the news that Ryan Westmoreland's brain surgery "went well" today, it's interesting to note that CSNNE's Joe Haggerty had the same diagnosis when he was younger:
Westmoreland no doubt probably also heard that he might be suffering from the early stages of multiple sclerosis, which would slowly erode his health and wellness. He certainly heard both terrifying possibilities before he was informed about the tangle of malformed blood vessels with a "raspberry-like" appearance within his brain.
How could I possibly know all this?
Because I've been diagnosed with the same "cavernous malformation" condition that doctors discovered in exams of Westmoreland after he began suffering neurological episodes this spring. I've sat in a doctor's office with my parents and watched them both break down in sobs and tears after hearing a possible death-sentence diagnosis from doctors with sterling credentials framed on their walls.
It's a small -- and rare -- world.
Westmoreland's full prognosis is unknown at this point, but Red Sox officials have noted that the initial recovery will be difficult. There has been no speculation to Westmoreland's baseball-playing future at all.
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Westy & CCM
M.S. is a very common misdiagnosis of cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM). As an afflicted individual myself for over 7 years (single bleed, brainstem), I’ve done a tremendous amount of research about CCM. It’s not as rare of a condition as people believe; it’s more of an awareness issue.
Many CCMs are found incidentally at autopsy. They never cause any trouble, and are never noticed. This is one reason that CCM is mistakenly considered “rare” when in fact it’s not.
The other issue is misdiagnosis. The lack of familiarity by family physicians and even neurologists can sentence a patient to years of searching for real answers. A gradient-echo MRI of the head is the single best diagnostic tool to use when trying to detect CCMs in the brain.
A great site to learn more about CCM is run by the non-profit group Angioma Alliance (http://www.angiomaalliance.org). They offer a peer support network, latest research findings, a community forum, and more.
The other issue is misdiagnosis. The lack of familiarity by family physicians and even neurologists can sentence a patient to years of searching for real answers. A gradient-echo MRI of the head is the single best diagnostic tool to use when trying to detect CCMs in the brain.
I guess that those saying that we should see the silver lining re: having it detected since he’s a pro baseball player with the Sox’ resources aren’t far off.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Mar 17, 2010 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions

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