Unilateral vision problems, EBV, Chiari Dx

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1

Hey, so I am going to try to not make this a novel, but my nurse brain is weighing heavy on this, and I am not an expert in Chiari malformations.

So, I have always had problems with insomnia and was diagnosed with ADD in my late 20’s, which I have never thought too much about.

So fast forward… About a year and a half ago I started having a huge increase in frequency with urination. I am talking like 10-15 times a night. Which is so frustrating, but I have had kids, and nurse bladder from holding my bladder for 12 plus hours… so again I didn’t think much about that either.

Fast forward again. August 2017 I was in a wreck where I was hit from behind and hit the car in front of me. i hit my head on the steering wheel, but of course I didn’t want treatment. After the wreck I have had awful back and neck pain. I had to quit the gym because I absolutely couldn’t continue without being almost unable to walk for 4 days everytime I went. I am a flight nurse and in NP school. So the neck, backaches, and headache continued, and I did have an X-ray which showed degenerative disc at the thoracic region. I also have had numbness and pain down the right arm intermittently.

So fast forward again. I have Ebstein-Barr virus. I have for about 3-4 weeks. A week into the diagnosis my right eye vision decreased, floaters, with color loss. It has never got any better or worse. So, my family, dr sent me to get an MRI for rule out of MS due to the ophthalmologist could find no structural issues with my eye. The read said I have Chiari mal type 1 with 7mm herniation.

I feel totally lost right now. I am super nervous about the vision decrease in my eye and am pretty nervous about what the means for my position as a flight nurse. Thoughts or insights? Is it likely that I had Chiari prior to the wreck and it worsened it? I have little or no experience with Chiari and don’t know when or how the decide who has surgery, but my back pain and neck pain or worse, but then theres mono too.

Thanks for listening! Any advice is greatly appreciated!
EQ

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Since you were in car accident I immediately thought of whiplash or concussion. I googled chiari and concussion and was flooded with results that match what you’re talking about. As a sample:

“The consensus is that trauma, even minor head trauma or whiplash, can cause aggravation, or even the onset of painful symptoms associated with a Chiari Malformation… several recent studies indicate that trauma (such as a car accident) can make an otherwise asymptomatic condition symptomatic…”

I would suggest doing a search for chiari and concussion or chiari and whiplash and reading up on it. There’s a TON of info out there that should help you.

azurelle

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