'When Doctors Are No Help' 
-Taras Shklyar's Story

Taras Shklyar was born in 1969 in the Ukraine and spent 15 years near Moscow in a scientific system as a programmer. He went to Canada in April 2004, to work.

Since age seven or eight he’d had problems with his vision, but in 1999 his eyesight really started deteriorating. He also suffered from fatigue and loss of coordination from 2003. He had been treated in Russia, but without improvement.
Puzzled by what was happening to him, he sought help on moving to Canada. He could not work because of poor vision and was told it had to with spots on the retina.

In September 2004, a doctor’s report read: “This is unknown, but most likely a Central Nervous Disease/Illness”. The report added that Taras was not depressed, but actually in good spirits and looking forward to finding out what was wrong with him. The doctor queried Multiple Sclerosis, but mentioned that it was not his field. An ophthalmologist’s report said he had optic atrophy.

In March 2005, Taras was referred to a neurologist. His balance was worse; he was getting occasional right hand numbness, clumsiness as well as leg fatigue. An MRI from November 2004 showed severe white matter changes in both hemispheres and involving the corpus callosum as well as several locations in the brain stem and cerebellum.

The diagnosis was severe and likely secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis.
In August 2005 Taras was on amantidine and cerebrolysin, which he stopped taking because of financial problems.
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The doctor’s report for August 2005 said he has “bilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia, cognitive dysfunction, spastic ataxic gait [and] at this point disease modifying therapy is not available for this patient”. He was therefore told to avoid stress, get enough rest, avoid viral infections, take extra vitamin D3 and exercise at least three times a week.

What does Taras say about his medical treatment?
When I'm dealing with modern medicine, I think: "Fascists were not very bad guys... Doctors can't help me. I see. It's impossible. But why can't they give me some poison?"

He sent us the following email: Thanks for your letter. Unfortunately due to my physical condition (poor vision) I cannot participate in any chat forums. As for publishing my story on your web site, please do that.  
Sincerely,  
Taras
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