My chiari is 29mm, what are some other sizes, it seems like the size doesn't necessarily matter
I seem to agree with you, that size doesn't matter. All my NS will tell me is that mine is greater than 5 and that's all I need to know.
Hi...
My understanding is that size does not matter...for instance one can have a 5mm Chiari with lots of Sx's where another person my have a Chiari measuring 20mm and have no symptoms.
29mm seems to me anyway, to be very large...how are your symptoms?? Also, it is important to have a full spine MRI to make sure you don't have a syrinx..(fluid filled cyst on your spinal cord)
Fill us in..how are you doing????
Peace,
Lori
PS: Michael...how are you doing??????
Hi Lori and Michael, it seems that my chiari is rather large, at 29 mm, up until this month my symptoms, I thought were pretty mild. Mainly head pain with laughing, coughing, and sneezing, and migraines occasionally. I'd also get headaches weekly, but nothing that pain pills can't take care of.
I saw NS today and he ordered repeat mri of cervical and thoracic spine to rule out syrinx. Been having BAD pain in my back and neck, it's rather depressing. He said most NS's would have done surgery on me by now. He kinda left the surgery option up to me! Elective brain surgery! HELL NO! I am terrified to have surgery.
So nervous about all this.
Sadie
Hi Lori and Sadie,
Lori it has been one of those weeks were the symptoms plus other problems are kicking my butt royally. Fortunately I have a very supporting wife who is shouldering quite a lot lately.
Sadie like you I am terrified of the surgery and I agree with your NS that it is up to you. IT is a major decision and one I hope and pray you don't have to make alone. Reading some discussions on here makes me wonder what will my choice be when it is recommended for me. I would do it to return to a "normal" state and be able to play with my kids more actively and do more things with my wife; but on the flip side I always get that very negative thought about the what if's. I think that my family would prefer to go with it due to the complications being low from our research.
Sometimes the symptoms will come and go.There are time when I feel that I have had my symptoms (headaches, dizziness, mind-fog, memory loss (one day I called my kids the wrong names while looking at each one separately), numbness, etc... for days without end- this week is a great example of that situation. I think where I am going with this (I keep losing my train of thought) is that if you can control your symptoms now with a pain med and the symptoms do not appear to YOU to be getting worse relax and keep a ledger of your symptoms. IF they increase in frequency or you have something happen to you that is unusual - get it checked ASAP. This condition effects everyone of us differently, you have to be your best advocate (I know that can be difficult at times) but we are here for you bad days to good days and everything in between.
Hope all goes well with the MRI; need anything give a holler.
Mike
why is your name twitch
i'm just wondering because since i've have these new symptoms, i have bad pain in my back, neck, and my left arm. my shoulder hurts really bad like someone punched me, and my arm twitches away, its a nagging twitch that happens when i get the bad pain in my arm
I'm going to try and figure out how to post my mri, the pic that shows the measurement, i've seen alot of people on here with photos of there mri scans, and i haven't seen anybody yet with one as large as mine. it's kind of weird, i'll get it up as soon as i can.
Go to the Wisconsin Chiari Center.org and under Dr. Heffez in the Media there is a Lake Effect Radio interview that is so informative. He talks alot about how the lenghth does not matter and how they are trying to educate doctors to listen to the patient and thier symtoms and not focus so much on the length. I was so impressed by Dr. Heffez I may have to make a trip to Wisconsin.