hospital update

I am on day 3 in the hospital. Was feeling improvement until today. They did the ever necessary spinal tap which according to my last appointment with the doctor was the last thing needed before surgery. So though it was necessary I was not looking forward to having a long needle stuck in my back. Because of my connective tissue disorder I am at high risk for spinal fluid leaking at the needle site causing very painful spinal headaches. I don't have anything as bad as when I had the complication with a spinal tap previously but I feel like it is building into one.

Since I have been here they have done 2 MRI's, CT scan and an X-ray. The first MRI showed an increase in the herniation to the ever important 5mm mark. The Chiari institute and other Chiari specialist believe that a herniation of 5mm to be Chiari and require surgery. Other doctors who know less about it often don't recognize anything until it is 5mm. The current standard has begun to change which is that Chiari is any herniation, with a smaller hind brain than normal and significantly symptomatic. Previously I fell into the more recent standards but now I am recognized by both standards.

The surgeon at Valley who is overseeing my case because my normal surgeon does not come to Valley, says that Surgery is a last resort as does the Chiari institute. He wants to make sure that I have no other possible neurologic problems that could cause it...thus the gammit of tests. I still have two more to do (EMG-study of nerves and muscles to see why I have such weakness and problems with my right side and an ECT- to evaluate the nerves to my eyes and ears because I have had increasing problems with them). So if these show negative then I will have a 3rd doctor recommending surgery. I am hoping that since the spinal tap was a month earlier than originally planned that maybe i can get the surgery done before the end of the year. Due to the changes in health care insurance my rates are already changing significantly which means the cost of the surgery will going up after January 1.

God is in control and knows when the right time is and I am just trying to trust that.

P.S. I apologize if the writing of this blog entry is not clear. I am on significant medication. It took me 4 times to reread this and try to clean it up. Everything is muddled in my brain so I am sure it is not my best writing. LOL