I had it for months, it was incapacitating pain whenever I sat or stood for over 15 minutes or so and just kept getting worse. I had some false hopes that this cleared up postop, but that was apparently all the pain meds because it started again. I'm now 8 days postop. Anyone else experience this?
I'm very discouraged and don't want to tell my husband because it keeps me from driving or doing my job and he had to help me so much preop, I just can't tell him we might be back to square one on that problem.
I do not regret surgery, I know I needed it badly. I even had a vein stretched around my brain tonsils. But, this last information has me really down.
Thanks all and God bless you in all your current circumstances!
Remember you are very fresh out of surgery and recovery could take up to a year. I had very bad hip pain after I had my last daughter in 2010. I thought is was maybe something left over from the epidural. I now think it was Chiari related because it went away after surgery. I have noticed it a little if I overdo it.
Have you ever had an MRI on your lower back to check that out. I had excruciating pain down my right leg and across my lower back for months, they did cortizone injections, traction, physical therapy, and finally figured out that I need surgery. I had lumbar fusion surgery June 28, 2010. Anterior/Posterior Fusion of L2-L5. When I went back in the following month for my follow up I still had issues with the back pain and leg pain, and was told at that time that they waited to long to do the surgery and I would be walking with a cane for the rest of my life. Not something I was really excited to hear when I was only 46! Oh, well I figured, I was still breathing and had the use of both arms and legs, and I was set on getting rid of that cane! Wrong answer! September 15, 2010, I was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation, 10 mm hernication! They did the Decompression surgery w/Laminectomy on September 22, 2010. And I ended up with a NS who says I'm cured from Chiari!!! I'm trying to find a real NS or at least one that understands Chiari. Now - as of last week - I had a cortizone shot in my left knee and they did a MRI of that knee and will probably need to replace it. I have Arthritis in the knee and I have bee overcompensating on the left leg because my right side is the leg with the nerve damage and because of that I have numbness so I always lead with my left, which has done detrimental damage to my knee and ankle. I still blame the chiari for it though, even though the latest NS I tried says, one doesn't have anything to do with the other, but you can tie them all back. I hope you are feeling better soon. Take care and if that back pain does not get better push for a lumbar MRI!
My question is, how exactly do I convince my doctor to go ahead and do a full spinal MRI? I tried to talk to my Neurologist about it but she is so convinced that all my pain and numbness can't possibly be connected to the chiari so why bother? I know that there is more going on, either a syrinx is forming or has formed and is causing other issues, but how do I get my doctor (now back to the family doc) to check it out, when they refuse to acknowledge it? I know you all understand how frustrating this is, but I am just at the beginning of my journey- had problems now for about 15 years, but only gotten worse the past year- I was just happy to have a diagnosis that seemed to explain it all.
Did everyone else who is symptomatic with chiari react in a specific way to the nerve test? Where they tap on your knee and elbow? That was the sole basis is saying it was not from the chiari at this point, because I did not have a strong reaction. /sigh, so I am weird even for a chiarian, LOL- just kidding. Thanks everyone for your help and support, it is nice to have someone who understands to talk to.
Good luck to you, Sherry, on your recovery process!!