One Week Before Surgery

I have a Chiari Type I Malformation with a 6mm-10mm herniation. When the bony skull base is too small or misshapen, it compresses a portion of brain. The brain is then pushed down and squeezed out of the nearest opening. The herniation puts pressure on the brain stem and spinal cord causing all sorts of problems. I like to think that my brain is too big for my head!

My surgery is next week so someone encouraged to write down my thoughts about the upcoming surgery. I'm not the best writer so I'll probably just be throwing out feelings, experiences, etc.

Although I didn't realize that they could all be connected, I've always had strange symptoms that no one could explain.

The back of my head hurts. All the time. It radiates down into my neck and shoulders. The headaches get worse when I bend over, sneeze, cough or extend my neck backward.

My eyes are practically blinded by any bright light so I wear sunglasses year round and keep the blinds shut in my house. I see halos around lights when I drive at night.

One of my ears feels constantly clogged and sometimes I get a ringing sensation in that ear.

Sometimes, I can't swallow. Even water. Often times it actually hurts my neck to swallow.

I've always had fluctuating body temperatures. I can sweat while just sitting in a chair or shake because I'm cold even though it's 100 degrees outside.

I go through periods where I fall. It's like my legs just give way. I've had fainting spells in the past that can't be explained.

I get dizzy when I make quick movements with my head. My balance feels constantly off and there's a kind of stagger to my walk. Because of this, I try to stay away from stairs and uneven surfaces.

I don't sleep very well. I'm exhausted because I lay awake for hours each night.

While trying to sleep, I often choke. Not cough but wake up choking as if I have something lodged in my throat and I can't breathe. I think that this is why my voice sounds scratchy.

My hands and one of my feet feel all tingly - like they're falling asleep. This becomes worse when I lay down. I sometime get electric feeling jolts that run down my leg or arms. When this happens, the tingling becomes worse. I tend to drop things. My face also tingles a lot when I lay down.

I get easily confused and find it difficult to follow a series of tasks or follow conversations. I sometimes forget conversations or events.

My speech is often slurred and at times garbled.

The symptoms go on and on but I think that you get the idea.

I've been admitted to the hospital several times because of these unexplained symptoms. It was during one of those visits, in 1989, that I was first diagnosed with Chiari Type I Malformation. They were going to do surgery but decided against it at the last minute. Needless to say, most of the doctors didn't think that Chiari could be causing my symptoms and send me home telling me to "rest" and try to keep my emotions in check. They gave me muscle relaxers, etc. but didn't really address the actual problem. One doctor actually told my husband that it was all in my head. Guess what? He was right! :o)

This April, the headaches started to occur daily. My hands started tingling and my balance issues became much worse. I became slightly concerned when I started smelling "burning" smells that no one else could smell. My primary care physician sent me for an MRI and again the Chiari showed up. He referred me to a neurologist. The neurologist sent me for a neck MRI. He also did a test on my arms to see if the tingling in my hands was caused from Carpel Tunnel. Since that was negative and my headaches were continuing, he suggested that I see a neurosurgeon. I saw Dr. White on September 23rd and after examining me and looking over my films, he suggested that he felt surgery would help alleviate most of my symptoms. He made sure that I understood that this was not a cure but that it should give me some relief.

After much discussion with my husband regarding the pros and cons, we decided that I should go ahead with the surgery. It will be on November 5th at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City and, if all goes as planned, I should be in the hospital for around 5 days. Am I frightened? Not really but I am apprehensive. Not of the surgery but of the recovery. I don't want to be a burden on my husband and am especially concerned about the financial cost. However, I'm really happy to have a clear answer as to what I can do to feel better and know that this is the right time for surgery.

I went to the neurosurgeon's office today to drop off my scans and pay him what my insurance won't cover. Just being there made me feel a bit more more apprehensive but I know that God has a plan for my life and I know that He is in control. Please pray for the doctor doing the operation, the nurses and anyone else that will be taking care of me while I'm in the hospital. Please pray for my family as they help take care of me when I get home. Pray that there will be no infections or other complications after the surgery.

For someone who isn't a writer, I certainly had a lot to say today!