Last week, I went in for an MRI. I had been experiencing memory loss, frequent falls, loss of fine motor movement in my fingers. I figured it was a routine CYA test. But then my doctor called - the diagnosis was Chiari Malformation, Type I. The cerebellar tonsils are protruding through the hole in the base of my skull by about 9 mm. Chiari can cause strangulation of the spinal cord, resulting in disrupted flow of cerebrospinal fluid. You can imagine what kind of havoc that causes.
My first impulse was to laugh. After 20 years and a dozen specialists, all of the weird symptoms finally made sense. Everything from ringing in the ears to memory loss, constant falls, running into things. It's all part of the problem. Friends looked shocked, some cast a light hearted joke; most stayed silent. What do you say? I'm really sorry that your brain is oozing out your skull? Too bad there are no cures? I hear surgery is only partially successful...how does that make you feel?
In reality, the diagnosis was both sobering and liberating. I could finally understand why some things happened. Why there were days when I could simply not function. I had a list of over 20 weird symptoms, but no one could ever figure out the cause. Now we know. Still waiting to talk to the neurologist, but for now I am taking it easy, reading all about it, and formulating questions. The more I know, the better I can prevent further damage.
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