Hello everyone! My 13-year-old daughter was just diagnosed but has been having headaches for years. She has a slight syeinx but is otherwise healthy. She is having decompression surgery this summer because she is a cheerleader. Based on your experiences, How long until she’s able to cheer again? Her surgeon at Vanderbilt said recovery time is about two weeks. Thank you!
I assume Jay Wellons or one of his senior Residents is your surgeon. They do a slightly different technique for kids at Vanderbilt that results in more stability much more quickly. Because they use a small operating field, the kids bounce back very quickly. However tumbling and gymnastics is a different matter. Aside from physical healing, if there is any amount of swelling, it can effect her balance leading to injury. Swelling in that area comes down pretty slowly. She should be tested by a good PT and cleared by her doc before doing too much as well as being well spotted when she starts. The chances of blowing out a knee are pretty high with the type of balance issues she could have. You are talking months not weeks before she is to full speed. Of course he medical team are the experts.
Heres a nice article for your daughter:
http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Chiari-Malformation-Survivor/2229938
There is/was a program on CMT called Cheer. The center flyer is girl named Jackie. Jackie is Chiari patient. Your daughter may enjoy the program..........I don't know if its on the air right now in reruns but I know the episodes are available for streaming on the CMT website as well as You Tube. The program follows the Central jersey Allstars. It may be some encouragement for her as well.
Thank you TJ1. How do you know about the technique done at Vanderbilt?
Also she is not a flyer and does no tumbling because of her headaches she only cheers
If you can keep her on the ground, more power to you Mom, They all want to be flyers. LOL. I can tell you are a great Mom
We adopted 8 the first 5 were boys, if we had started with any one of my three daughters, we would have changed our names moved to another state and gotten an unlisted phone number so social services would never had been able to find us again. You can always tell a 13 year old girl, you just can't tell them much. My wife taught that age for 25 years an loved it.
I have had occasion to spend a fair amount of time with their studies on minimally invasive surgery. I know Chevis Shannon. She is the Directorof Vanderbilt Pediatric Neurosurgery Clinical Research Initiative at Monroe Carell Jr Children's Hospital. Its an amazing project. Even if not totally non invasive they have developed techniques that allow them to do what used to be a day long surgery into as little 2 hours.
Lol TJ1! This will be her first year making the cheer team so she’s happy just to cheer and she can jump up-and-down fine with no headaches it’s only when she goes upside down like in around off for cart wheel that makes your head hurt. Her malformation is 18 mm.
Are you a physician?
I don't practice medicine. Your daughter is going to do well. Don't ever feel bad about pushing her either she is in charge or the Chiari will be. There is something about that age of girls with drive that is amazing, My oldest daughter was determined to be a cross country runner. Probably not the best choice for an asthmatic. Worse than asthma was her sense of direction. After several hours at a meet an no small amount of panic the search and rescue finally found her running the wrong way. It was at that point the school decided she might be a better tennis player because she was in a small fenced area. She actually was on the pro tour for a while after college. She and her girl friend burnt 10 acres of grass in the eight grade when they tried smoking The girl friend ended up being my Rheumatologist and my daughter a judge after her tennis career................
Wow I think my daughter would have the same issue with the cross-country and the directions!
My youngest broke her ankle - walking. Her pediatrician assured us it was common. Lots of 13 year old girls forgot they were walking.
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