Well after weeks of waiting I finally have a game plan, not just a wait and see.
What do I have???
Arnold Chiari (key-are-ee) Malformation along with another hole on my Occipital Calvarinal.
For Chiari Malformation we are all born with a hole at the base of our skull where the spine and the skull meet. Some are born with one bigger, like me and if it is not a serious form it is not normally found out until someone person symptomatic like I am. If I was just having headaches it would have been a longer wait for the surgery but tests in the office today showed that I am very symptomatic, having headaches, coordinations issues, trouble swallowing, vertigo, irregular eye movement, and the list goes on.
The Occipital Calvarinal may have been a birth defect or have other causes, they wont know until they get in there.
The above is not my head FYI
The plan is to put a titanium mesh covering over the hole on the Occipital region, and for the Chiari Malformation they are going to remove the lamina or the spine to make room for the brain, sometimes they have to remove up to three. They also remove part of the skull to remove pressure.
Like with any surgery there are risks and when dealing with the brain they are more serious but I do feel that I am in good hands. My doctor is one of the best in the nation and happens to be Catholic. He has been know to pray with his patients who are religious before surgery and with his staff. The Surgery itself is on January 6th and taking place at OSF. It will last between 3-6 hours. The hospital itself is Catholic and is even named after one of my favorite saints Saint Francis. More importantly I have God on my side and you really cannot loose with him on your team. Thank you all for your continued prayer.
Prayers are being said for you, your family, and your medical staff.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am very at peace with it all right now and happy with the fact that it is being done at a Catholic hospital. I can even receive every day as long as I can keep things down.
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