Allow me to introduce myself, I am Christopher Wunsch. I was a pr...

Allow me to introduce myself, I am Christopher Wunsch. I was a practicing Critical Care RN for 13 years active practice, until September 2002, the onset of my disability at age 34. Until Sept 2002, I had been a healthy adult with very few medical problems. I had elevated cholesterol since I was in college that I know of, and I had always chosen to eat right and exercise regularly. which had no appreciable impact on my cholesterol. In 1999, my father had bypass surgery at age 58, and it was decided that I be started on statin therapy, and I was started on 10 mg QD, which I tolerated well until September 2002, when I began to have terrible unrelenting headaches, disorientation and confusion. I would sleep for 14-18 hours per day, therefore I missed a lot of work over these 4-6 weeks. I had a CT scan done at a local hospital, despite my persistent request for an MRI scan. The CT scan was normal. After the 3rd visit to our local ED, I was discharged home with a diagnosis of a probable Migraine Variant, and was given Imitrex, which I could not even figure out how to give to myself. I called my PCP at home after we were sent home, and I requested he order an MRI scan for me, which he agreed to and was done the following day. revealing multiple scattered lesions throughout the grey matter of my brain. When my PCP received these results, he referred me to a Neurologist who diagnosed me with a migraine Variant. My wife and I sought a second opinion from the University Hospital and Clinics in Madison, where I was evaluated by a Neurologist who specialized in MS. When I was evaluated by him in the clinic, he did not think what I had was MS at all, he did not know for sure what I had, but was quite sure it was not any form of MS. I was sent home, to be rechecked in a few weeks. Over the course of the next few weeks, my symptoms of Headaches, Lethargy, Fatigue, and confusion had worsened, only now it was accompanied by Ataxia and slurred speech. My wife called to UW Madison and spoke with my Neurologist who informed her that I should be re-evaluated as soon as possible. We dropped off our 2 year old son at my parents and headed to UW Madison to be seen again. When we arrived, I was given a mini neurological exam, which I failed terribly, and I was admitted. I was hospitalized for 28 days, I underwent a brain Biopsy, which revealed multiple areas of vacuolization, mitochondrial changes under electron microscopy revealed thickened disarrayed cristae, inclusions of lysosomal and autophagic vacuoles. The Differential diagnosis from the Brain Biopsy was a new Variant CJD, a Mitochondrial Disorder such as MELAS, and a few others. My muscle biopsy done at this time, was suggestive of a Mitochondrial Disorder such as MELAS or MERRF. I was started on a Mitochondrial cocktail, which consisted of 12-14 Vitamins, amino Acids and Ubiquinone. I was scheduled to transfer to a nursing home, pending bed placement. When one of the residents suggested increasing my CoQ10 dose, which was done, now 150 mg BID. Over the next few days, I began to become more alert, less confused, and less ataxic. I was discharged home with aggressive Physical, Occupational and Speech therapies which continued for approximately 15 weeks. After several months of rehabilitation, I tried to go back to work as a Workers Compensation Case Manager, and after a few weeks of trying to do this, I was approached by my boss, who informed me that what I used to do in a couple of hours, was now taking several days, and was inconsistent with employment, and suggested I return to Disability, which I reluctantly did. A few months later, I had neuro psychiatric testing done, which revealed cognitive slowing and other issues consistent with significant frontal lobe pathology. After this occurred, I saw Dr. Beatrice Golomb on Good Morning America one morning, talking about a Statin Effects Study she was going to be doing, I never thought for one minute, that my Lipitor use could have had anything to do with this illness and disability, but I enrolled. After about 1 year in this study, I was informed by Dr. Golomb, that "Lipitor was the likely causal contributor to my diagnosis of MELAS, as well as the holes in my brain as evidenced on my Brain Biopsy. I havd done probably thousands of hours of research into this, and I have found that most Doctors do not nor will not listen to your opinion no matter how much proof you have, nor how many studies you have found that prove your case. It is going to be a lifelong battle for me, but for each person I can get to not believe the lie that cholesterol causes heart disease, and convince them not to take a Pharmaceutical, thats just one step in the right direction.