Sorry for the silence - I have been going through tests, doctors appointments, pain, misery... You know, typical Chiari fare.
I had a cardiology test and they found (shock!) tachycardia and nothing else. Since that's pretty much like saying "I have an itch" (it could be something, could be nothing, could be anything under the sun!) I'm not exactly putting my faith in this being heart disease like the NS thought but wouldn't say out loud.
Speaking of, I just got off the phone with the neurosurgeon. She had them "re-read" my MRI and, ohmigosh, I DO have a Chiari malformation! NO S***. This is something we've known for, what, three months now??? She still doesn't believe my vision problems are due to Chiari (even though ALL the studies I've read list vision problems as a possible symptom). And then she said, "Did you get the injections in your neck yet?" What the..!??! ACKSJEOIFJ:KLEJ! She never once mentioned stabbing me in the neck with anything - I'm pretty sure I would have remembered that! So her "professional" (bullcrap) opinion is: iunno? She wants me to see the ophthalmologist (in OCTOBER) and then see her again, even though the Neurologist looked at my eyes and said my optic nerves are NOT swollen. (When I told the NS that she said haughtily, "That is such a rudimentary test...") So... In the meantime, I'm, what, supposed to be collecting bedsores like Pokemon cards? She said this isn't an "emergency" so she can't rush the ophthalmologist appointment. Even though I can't drive, I can't work, my job is threatening to fire me, I don't have an income, my husband is looking at getting a second job so we can afford to pay our bills...
I am so frustrated I would like to throw something valuable and highly breakable.