“In the year prior to my first documented vaccine injury, I was essentially in the best shape of my life. I had been training for a physical fitness test for the Air National Guard in 2008 and I clocked a run time on my 1.5 mile run of 8 minutes and 48 seconds. I had no health issues whatsoever.

In 2009, I received an MMR vaccine on August 1st and in mid-September I was hospitalized and received a diagnosis of Guillain Barre Syndrome from Dr. Angela Borders-Robinson after she performed an EMG.

The correlation between the MMR and the diagnosis Guillain Barre Syndrome was suspected but not entirely established. Recovery was slow as shown by a follow up EMG that I had in February of 2010 which revealed improvements but was still abnormal.

I continued to improve over the following months but never fully seemed to get back to being how I was in 2008, only marginally passing my fitness test in 2010.

I did get an annual influenza vaccine in 2010. Yet, I took it with hesitation and only did so because it is required by the military. Especially with a history of Guillain Barre Syndrome. Thankfully, I did not have a reaction in 2010.

In 2011, I received the influenza vaccine on September 10th and after not reacting the previous year, I felt a little more comfortable about it. 

However, a day after getting the influenza vaccine, I began to feel pins and needles in my feet. Over the next few days, it progressed up my legs and into my arms as well. I was seen by Neurology at the VA Medical Center in Lexington, KY. They did take some blood labs, neurological assessments and some MRI imaging as an outpatient. There was other tests ordered at that time, but my symptoms only lasted about three weeks and subsequently those other tests were not accomplished.

I did not have any noticeable symptoms from that point such as, weakness, tingling, and loss of sensation. However, I still could not run like I was able to in 2008 after trying to self rehabilitate myself. I would jog for 1.5 miles a few times a week for a few months, but I couldn’t improve my speed and just could not seem to muster the same amount of energy as I did in the past.

In June of 2012, my military unit had finally scheduled an appointment to see Dr. Mark Stahl, an immunologist at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. He reviewed my records and performed some assessments. He concluded along with a team from the Vaccination Health Center, with Laurie Duran, ARNP that the influenza vaccine had “probable cause” for the reaction I had. My military unit had told me that if I was unable to take the influenza vaccine that I would be facing a medical discharge and I had no intention of ending my service career at that time.

I discussed these options with Dr. Stahl and he made some exemptions, in particular any live vaccine. He did not exclude me from the influenza vaccine under the belief that it was likely an isolated reaction and also so that I could continue my service in the Air National Guard. I agreed to it under the same belief.

Four months later, it was time for annual influenza vaccines again.

I received my 2012 influenza vaccination on October 14th, 2012. The following day, I had an identical onset of symptoms. I waited until the following Friday to see if the symptoms would persist. I was on shift at the time at the VA Medical Center and had to take sick leave.

I was evaluated in the emergency department and was again given the choice to be admitted or get testing done as an outpatient. I chose to be admitted, hoping that the necessary tests would be accomplished and I could finally get some definitive answers. What troubled me the most during this admission was the head neurologist absolutely refuted there could be any possible link between my symptoms and the influenza vaccine; so much so that they even considered something called factitious disorder as a possible differential diagnosis.

I had routine blood work done, more MRI imaging, a nerve conduction velocity study and a lumbar puncture. I will attest that the lumbar puncture at the VA hospital was the most painful experience I have ever been through. It was initially attempted at the bedside, where the neurologist performing it missed three times in a row and decided to stop, noticing that I simply couldn’t take anymore of it. The house supervisor was there to monitor the procedure as well as my nurse that day. They helped me focus on breathing and prevented me from passing out. The following day, another physician attempted the lumbar puncture and it was just as painful as it was previously. He was able to obtain a sample of spinal fluid, performing the procedure under fluoroscopy.

The labs performed did reveal mild CSF protein elevation. With the major testing accomplished I requested to be discharged. Approximately a week or two later, I went back to the VA hospital for a severe headache. It felt like a “brain freeze” from eating ice cream too fast, but it was constant and nothing would completely resolve the pain. It was treated with some intravenous medication, which resolved the issue temporarily. Not long after that, they said I may need a “blood patch”, which is used to treat spinal headaches after lumbar punctures are performed. Agreed to it since nothing else seemed to help. The procedure was just as painful as lumbar puncture was before. Once they were finished, I had to lay flat for a few hours to ensure the “blood patch” clotted properly. The severe headache resolved from this treatment, but none of that would have been necessary had I not had a vaccination reaction.

 

Not satisfied with the lack of answers from the neurologists from the VA hospital, I chose to seek out another neurologist. Dr. Paula Johnson, my primary care physician, feels that this neuropathy I have is a direct result from the influenza vaccine in 2011 and 2012. She referred me to Dr. Tarek Zakaria in Louisville, KY and initially after evaluating me, he said that there is signs of some type of neuropathy present and ordered an EMG. I went to David Boyce, PT for the EMG which his impression was:

“The findings suggest a distal > proximal axonal loss peripheral neuropathic process involving both motor and sensory nerves of the lower limbs. Additionally there is some mild demyelination of the median motor nerves across the wrists bilaterally. No axonal loss of the upper limbs is noted at this time.”

This went back to Dr. Zakaria and he ordered some additional lab testing. While all this was going on, I had minimal improvements with my symptoms and they would worsen anytime I tried to do something physically strenuous.

The people from the Vaccination Health Center at Walter-Reed started reviewing my case from the 2012 reaction and they have reviewed all my medical records concerning these two reactions. They were suspecting that I either have partial transverse myelitis or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy as a result from the influenza vaccine.

Dr. Zakaria was concerned with one of my labs called SSA auto-antibodies and referred me to a Rheumatologist, Dr. Lisa June. I saw her in August of 2013. She ordered some additional tests and reconfirmed the SSA auto-antibodies which were 108 AU/ml and the normal range is <30 AU/ml. While this abnormality remains present, all other labs ruled out auto-immune disorders such as Sjogren’s Syndrome and Lupus.

I also had repeat EMG in August which was nearly the same as the one I had in December, with the exception of acute axonal loss between L5 and S1. I was also admitted to the University of Kentucky hospital in August of 2013 for a flare up of my symptoms with associated persistent low back pain. They performed an MRI did not reveal any abnormalities that would be causing the type of pain and neuropathy I’m having. I have a follow up on October 4th. I told them that I believe that the SSA auto-antibodies are the key. With those present in my body, they mistake my nerves for a component of the vaccine and begin attacking my nerves. The neurologist at UK along with my PCM both agreed that this is a possibility. I feel that the level increases of the SSA auto-antibodies with each vaccine I get and without getting some type of treatment like IVIG or immunosuppressant therapy, they will continue attacking my nerves.

Before I got the influenza vaccination in 2012, I enjoyed the morning walk. Now, it has become a burden and I have to wake up earlier to allow myself more time to walk, since I can’t walk like I did before without exhausting myself.

The past 7 years have been more than a challenge in all aspects of life between the mounting medical bills and the difficulties of daily living with this chronic motor sensory axonal neuropathy. It has also taken a toll on my marriage, placing an increased responsibility on my wife to get everything done around our farm. This had been especially hard on her too.

More importantly, my doctors believe I will never fully recover. Upon getting a definitive diagnosis, I hoped to be facing a medical discharge from the Air National Guard as vaccinations are medical mandated requirements.

I have sixteen years of service time and was hoping to enjoy the benefits of a military retirement. I however, will not due to the chronic neuropathy caused by the influenza vaccine.

I did get an eventual diagnosis from the Cleveland Clinic in December of 2013.

They said I have Chronic Axonal Sensorimotor Peripheral Neuropathy.

They also said it was most likely caused by an auto-immune response, triggered by vaccination and also that there is no indicated treatment. They additionally recommended I don’t get any more vaccines.

To add insult to injury, my former military unit, the 130th Airlift Wing from Charleston, WV also separated me without a medical discharge, without any disability benefits. They did so for reasons I can only assume they didn’t want it going on the record that it was a vaccine injury that happened to me despite having an approved Line of DutyfromtheNationalGuardBureau.

With all of the well documented nerve damage, financial hardship, permanent disability, pain and suffering listed above as well as disability retirement from the VA, SSDI, the loss of military service and it’s retirement benefits, I feel that I am justified in receiving a TDIU P&T compensation claim for VA disability.”