After Surgery

[foxydroxy]

I had decompresion surgery Dec 14 2012. I have read a list of things not to do when you have Chiari with syrinx. What about after surgery? Can we water ski, Sky dive, Horse back ride, ride a motor cycle ect ect?

[Viva001]

You are indeed a superstar!
I'd like to hear more about the pain treatment injected into the incision site.

I too feel better being active than sedentary.  I cannot think of one piece of furniture that I have that I am comfortable in, including my bed, although I can be exhausted.

Have you tried wearing a cervical collar?  I was sewing last week and had to wear mine, looking down so much.

[selmaS]

  Let me know if it helps u : )

[foxydroxy]

The heating pad and the hot tub are my best friends. I will have to check into the the feldenkrais method.

[selmaS]

  Have u tried a heating pad when u get home? And there area few exercises u would not be able to do while driving...might be worth looking into.

I was also told to look at my posture and check out the Feldenkrais method...I got a few books but could not follow the concept well enuff to do on my own, and there r no classes offered in my area...mayb something u would enjoy?

[foxydroxy]

Yep I always hear the voice in my head when i am looking down Shoulders back head up. HAHA My NS said i have turtle head that i need to do the neck excercise daily to help with the head sticking out. I always walked with my shoulder hunched and head down it was way more comfy to walk and sit that way. I have to retrain myself to keep my shoulders back and head up. I even do the neck excercise in the car on the way home other drivers must thing iam nuts.

[selmaS]

  Did u rule out a related condition called Ehlers-Danlos...it can cause pains all over like that ....

Wow 3 days and then home...I was in 5 days...I do have other issues going on too tho...and that is y it is so important to know what else may be going on as they may be what is causing the pains and it may not be chiari.

Did u do neck exercises?

At work with a small desk can u raise the monitor on a box to get it to eye level?That may help ur neck issues.

[foxydroxy]

Ya I was told not to look down for long periods of time. My desk is really small no place to put a stand to work off of. I was off the pain meds by week two after surgery. My Chiari NS was just awesome he used new technoligy that delivered pain meds right to the insision site so no pain what so ever from the surgery. They docs and nurses and the hospital kept calling me a super star. I went home from the hospital 3 days after surgery.  The pain is mostly in my neck and shoulder its a  burning ache  but i also have pain in my upper back and I have a pinched nerve in my butt leg area. I have many aches and pains on a daily basis. Going to talk to my PC doc on the 30th to see about getting on something that will help because tylenol or Ibeprophen dont help. I dont want a pain med/ muscle relaxer  because i dont like walking around in a stuper as thats what all the other doctors wanted to give me. Iam just hoping that he can help.

[selmaS]

  3 weeks?...OMG...I can not imagine I was still on strong meds then...just stepping down...not sure how u went back to work.

And looking down...weren't u told to raise things to look at them on  eye level to help prevent issues?

What type of constant pain are u having?...where is it located?

[foxydroxy]

I have a desk job. Its just a lot of looking down and typing. I came back to work after 3 weeks off. Mostly i just sit alot of the day. On the weekends iam more active. Hiking and what not outdoors type of girl.

[selmaS]

  What type of job do u have...what are ur daily activities?

Use what u do at work and how u feel from that to decide if the sky diving is something u want to even consider.

How long post op did u return to work?

Could be it was too soon and u over did it...we all need to rest and listen to our bodies.

[foxydroxy]

My sister is not doing so hot. She is still having issues with her nerves. The damage that was done still persists. She dosent like to be touched on her left side. She says that it just feels weird when someone touches her. I am doing pretty good. I go back to my primary card doctor on the 30th to see about getting on something to help with the constint pain. Nothing bad just tired of always hurting. The first few weeks after surgery i felt great no ache of pains. But now that Iam back to work and up and moving the pain in my neck and shoulder have returned along with back pain. :( So iam hoping to get on somthing to ease the aches and pains so i can make it thru the day.I will talk to him about sky diving in the future haha

[Viva001]

I would not risk it.  We really don't know what this condition has done or might do to us.  There could be compression elsewhere (I know I have some).  Even minor things can cause a setback.

How are you and your sister doing?

[selmaS]

Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

We r told to avoid them after as well....the thing with the activities u listed they are all activities that can cause injury to the head...u need to be careful...and only u know how u r doing post op and what ur body is up for....

With a syrinx, they can be formed from an injury as well as from an obstruction of CSF....

I know ur incision may be healed and u may feel good...but u r still healing...I noticed improvements into my 2yr post op....

And those that have had set backs got them from over doing ....as I said only u know what ur body will tolerate without feeling poorly afterward.