My Story - Dr. Michael Ryan

Many people think that varicose veins are an “old person’s” disease. That’s simply not true. 

I first noticed bulging vein in my leg when I was 15 years old.

Later, in medical school, I was standing at the scrub sink in surgery and my legs were hurting - really bad. In pain, I turned to the Chief Resident next to me and said, not really expecting any real response, "My legs are absolutely killing me just standing here.” He replied matter-of-factly, “You have a vein problem in your legs. You need to start wearing compression stockings.” I felt completely dejected, like my body was breaking down. I was only 25 years old. I thought leg pain was an old person’s disease. I know now that it’s not. 

Hope For A Better Solution

As time went by, year after year, the pain slowly got worse, as vein conditions always do. When I was an intern, I recall walking around at a state fair on a beautiful day and my legs hurt so bad that, in the middle of the crowded fair, I laid down on the cement in front of a bench to elevate my legs. The pain had gotten bad enough that I had no pride left. People were walking around me, but my only concern was of getting relief. 

The only solution that I knew about back then was vein stripping - a procedure that was painful and required time off work for recuperation - and I knew I didn’t want that. So I kept hoping for a better treatment method, and I kept suffering. My legs continued to hurt more and more. It got to the point where, as a young adult, I would sit around during the weekend and not want to do anything...no exercise, no chores, no fun activities with friends...because my legs hurt so much. I found that, at the end of the day, what I began to look forward to was not being at home with my wife and kids, but hurrying home to sit and elevate my legs. I didn’t see any way to get relief and felt hopeless. I thought “this must be what getting old feels like.”

New Treatments Provide Relief

Finally, when new techniques with laser technology came available, I had a glimmer of hope that I could finally get some relief. I had my treatments 15 years ago. I will NEVER forget that moment the day after treatment when I realized the aching was gone. I was pain free for the first time in years!  My dark cloud of leg pain and fatigue was so familiar to me that I couldn’t imagine life without it. Now a day after treatments, I felt like a new person! For the first time, I knew it wasn't something I had to live with because I was getting old.

Because of my experience, I could see how much this vein condition affects people and how treatments transforms them. People are able to get their energy back, enjoy their daily activities and resume a healthy and active lifestyle, which I certainly did. 

Inspired To Help Others

My personal experience inspired me to bring these new treatments to help as many people as possible with vein conditions, many who don’t realize they have a problem. Most people are like I was....trying to live life limited by fatigue and aching legs, and not realizing there is a solution within reach. Fortunately, laser technology now makes the procedure virtually painless and rapidly relieves symptoms. After my own treatments, I was inspired to get the word out and educate as many people as possible about how these advances can improve energy, health and enjoyment of life.  

I do this for a living because I’ve been there. I understand how debilitating a vein condition can be and I’ve worked hard to be in a position to help others. There’s nothing more rewarding than making a difference. For my staff and I, we get to do it every day.