My Treatment in the United States
Specialist Care in Upstate New York
Since I had a severe reaction to the COVID vaccination in 2021 and subsequently underwent therapies that made things worse, I have noticed my health steadily declining. For more clarity and help, I traveled to the green region of Upstate New York to see a specialist experienced in complex conditions. After many consultations with Dutch doctors who couldn’t help me, this felt like my last hope. The journey was tough, but with medical assistance from United Airlines and my mother by my side, it was manageable. Looking back, it was worth every dollar.
A Successful Crowdfunding
It was a vulnerable step to ask for help, but thanks to my crowdfunding campaign via WhyDonate, this trip became possible. The costs for scans, treatment, travel, accommodation, and transport in the expensive state of New York are impossible to cover on my disability benefits alone, especially since insurance provides no coverage. Therefore, I am incredibly grateful to everyone who supported me financially. I am truly flabbergasted by the support, especially from people I don’t even know personally. Thank you so much again!
How a Fellow Patient Guided Me to America
Let me go back to how I eventually ended up in America. I connected with Sharon, a young Dutch woman who developed severe symptoms after using the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. After a neck manipulation by a manual therapist, her symptoms worsened. Since she found no help in the Netherlands, she was forced to seek treatment abroad. She ended up at Rosa Clinic and noticed some improvement. She now lives in the U.S. and regularly visits Dr. Rosa. Because our symptoms are very similar, she recommended I see him too. I was able to meet her personally at the clinic, which was very nice, but also touching to see how she copes with such challenges at a young age.
Interestingly, we are both hypermobile, a connective tissue disorder where the tissue is less firm. This can lead to excessive joint mobility, pain, and increased bodily vulnerability. In support groups, it is noticeable that hypermobile people often have stronger reactions to medications such as antibiotics and vaccines and to treatments such as ‘cracking’. Unfortunately, we discovered this too late, after suffering the consequences.
Dr. Rosa, Specialist in Complex Conditions
A brief introduction to Dr. Scott Rosa, he is a leading specialist in the upper cervical area, which includes the head and neck, and treats patients from around the world at his clinic in Rock Hill. His own experience drives his work. After a motorcycle accident in his youth, he was helped by a chiropractor, inspiring him to pursue this profession. In his practice, he sees the worst of the worst and knows how to handle severely ill patients. For me, he was a relief medically and emotionally. Finally, a doctor who truly listens, takes action and is kind.
My Body Became a Minefield
Since the vaccination, I developed many neurological symptoms strongly resembling acquired brain injury. When I asked Dr. Rosa if he was familiar with vaccine injuries, he said he sees many patients who deteriorated significantly after COVID vaccination. He recognized symptoms like months of inability to sleep, brain fog, extreme fatigue, and pain in the legs. I was relieved he didn’t dismiss this sensitive topic.
Due to a severe autoimmune reaction to the COVID vaccine, my body became extremely sensitive. As Dr. Rosa said: “Your body has turned into a kind of minefield.” Any trigger can cause inflammation leading to damage, which happened to me. Since the neurologists at Erasmus MC (the Netherlands) couldn’t help, I desperately searched further and found two therapists in Rotterdam who worsened my symptoms. Dry needling by a physiotherapist at the end of 2021 worsened my tinnitus, which I had developed post-vaccine. Neck manipulations by an osteopath at the end of 2022 caused dizziness and more brain fog. Dr. Rosa said about this, “He shouldn’t have done that to you.” The treatments were too intense triggers and caused trauma on top of existing trauma.
Extensive Scans
For Dr. Rosa, it is important to perform thorough imaging before treating a patient rather than working intuitively. This resonated with me because I experienced how dangerous it is when therapists act on intuition and then easily blame the vulnerable patient when things go wrong. Dr. Rosa also trains other therapists in risk management so they can work more safely and avoid causing further harm.
Only after detailed X-rays and MRI scans—where vertebrae movement and rotation are examined in a sitting position (!) to see how they function under gravity—does he proceed. Unfortunately, in the Netherlands, MRIs are only done lying down, which gives less information about the dynamics and load on the spine in a natural, upright position. Personally, it was intense to do so many scans while sitting still, but with breaks in between, I managed.
Cranio-Cervical Instability
Dr. Rosa strongly suspects I have Cranio-Cervical Instability (CCI), an unstable connection between the skull and neck vertebrae, which puts pressure on the brainstem and impairs blood and oxygen flow. This causes fatigue, concentration problems, and other neurological symptoms. Notably, CCI appears in other people with vaccine injuries, such as Stevan Mihajlovic, whom I interviewed for a podcast. He received the same diagnosis after the Moderna vaccine, confirmed by a neurosurgeon in Barcelona.
Damage
Dr. Rosa saw on the scans that the lower part of my brain (cerebellar tonsils) sits too low, putting pressure on the brainstem and spinal cord, which can cause neurological symptoms. He also found increased pressure behind my right eye, where I’ve had pain since vaccination. The MRI shows damage in areas treated by my therapists. My jaw muscle shows atrophy, the occipital nerve and a neck ligament are affected, and some neck vertebrae are twisted, causing mechanical issues.
Dizziness from the Neck
While doctors at Sint Franciscus Hospital from the Netherlands think my severe dizziness comes from the vestibular system, Dr. Rosa confirmed my suspicion that the cause lies in the high cervical area. He identified vertebrae responsible for the constant sensation of standing on a rocking ship.
Atlas Correction
The scans showed that my atlas, the first neck vertebra, was rotated and pressing on my carotid artery. Using the Atlas Orthogonal (AO) technique, a precise and gentle correction, Dr. Rosa repositioned it. This is not something just anyone can do. A millimeter’s difference here can have serious consequences. Dr. Rosa knows exactly how to safely perform the correction down to the smallest detail. During my two weeks at the clinic, I had this correction twice.
Improved Cerebrospinal Fluid Circulation
After the AO treatment, my head felt clearer and I had more energy. Dr. Rosa also showed that the flow of my cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)—the fluid around the brain and spinal cord essential for brain function—improved. The image below shows the difference before and after treatment. The darker the black line, the better the flow.
Check-ups
I received daily brief medical check-ups from Dr. Rosa, which I greatly appreciated. He also advised me on what I should and shouldn’t do. He taught my mother how to gently massage my back muscles, as they affect the head and neck area. I also received a special pillow better suited for my head and neck.
Lots of Rest
Sharon advised me beforehand to take it easy, which I did mainly in our Airbnb. Our little house was in a serene environment, surrounded by deer, rabbits, and squirrels. Truly the perfect place to relax. The owners are real New Yorkers who often escape the city’s hustle and bustle here. They were very hospitable, pampered us, and we enjoyed their beautiful garden.
Relaxing Moments with Music and Nature
During our stay, I also explored the beautiful surroundings. I discovered something special: the original Woodstock site. Dr. Rosa told me he was present at the legendary Woodstock music festival as a local—how cool! Today the area is a lovely park where music remains central. It felt special to be there, on a site where thousands once gathered as part of the counterculture to fight for peace, love, and resistance against injustice.
We also visited a nearby waterfall, a hidden gem. It was the first time I spent so much time abroad alone with my mother. I never thought I’d travel to America with her, especially not for medical reasons. We both found Americans to be very friendly and helpful.
Back in the Netherlands
Now that I’m back home, I notice small improvements. I can walk and sit a bit longer, the dizziness is less severe, and I’m not confined to bed all day. I knew the treatment wouldn’t be a magic cure for my chronic symptoms, there are simply too many, but I’m happy with every small gain. It feels like a win. For how long? We shall see. Dr. Rosa warned me I need to maintain this because muscles and joints can regress. That’s why patients go for regular check-ups. Unfortunately, Dr. Rosa doesn’t live around the corner, so I’m still looking for a way to continue treatment closer to home. By the way, I bought with my last dollars a super-cool NY T-shirt as a souvenir of this trip.
The Next Step
It’s a lot to process that things have actually gone quite wrong, but I’m glad I now understand which pieces of the puzzle fit together. My next step is a DNA test, because why is all this happening to me? Many people have been vaccinated and boosted, undergo various therapies and have no problems. So why is it so different for me? Could there be a flaw in my DNA? Since I am very hypermobile, I want to investigate whether I have a variant of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a connective tissue disorder caused by a genetic mutation, in other words, a defect in the DNA. Did the mRNA vaccination affect my vulnerable DNA, weakening my sensitive connective tissue even more, making certain treatments too intense triggers and over the years causing increasing instability that has led to a further decline in my health? A kind of domino effect. That could be an explanation.
In any case, I hope that by being open about my medical journey, I can help others with recognition, hope, or insight — both patients and doctors or therapists. For now, I’m taking it easy this summer and seeing what the future holds.
Enjoy the summer, dear reader ☀️