Chris Phelan
Coach Chris Phelan’s life changed forever when a devastating disease struck, leaving him unable to stand, walk, or sit still. He couldn’t watch TV, use a cell phone, or work on a computer keyboard. His handwriting became unreadable. Slurred words made him sound like a drunk. Clumsiness and vertigo caused him to rely on a walker at first, and then a wheelchair. Seeking a diagnosis, Chris traveled the country and saw 31 doctors. The medical community could only guess, and the guesses ranged from Parkinson’s, Epilepsy, or Cerebral Palsy. At least 20 drugs were prescribed, including over 250 Botox shots (18 around his eye sockets), and he was subjected to many tests and scans.Frustrated and angered, Janalou, his wife, typed his symptoms into the computer. Up popped the word DYSTONIA, blandly defined online as 'a movement disorder.' The internet description ended with a cheery note: 'There is no cure.'Armed with a name for the disease, Chris found a renowned neurosurgeon who had successfully treated dystonia patients using an experimental procedure: deep brain stimulation. The treatment required three surgical procedures, the first of which involved opening his skull and placing two sensors inside his brain.The day of the last procedure, Chris walked a mile without a walker. He rode a stationary bicycle two days later. Three days after that, he went to the gym, and within 11 days, he was running.
