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Do symptoms get worse

Does the Chiari get worse if you decide not have the surgey? My doctor indicated to me it will since I'm symptomatic.
Alot of you guys have had the surgery, did your NS ever indicate to you, once symptoms begin it will get worse in a matter of time. I am scheduled for my surgery 1-22-09 and I am very nervous. I am a working mom with 3 kids and a husband so to have surgery would be so out of my loop and I am scared. I keep thinking what if something goes wrong in the OR, or how much hair do they shave off, how will the incision be all these different things scare me. My NS said this would be the best thing for me since he saw the blockage on my MRI. Although he sending me again for an MRI before my surgery it all is becoming more real. He said I hav the option to wait if I'd like but there arew no meds for it and permanent damage can not be reversed. I just keep thinking am I making the right decision. He assured me I am a strong healthy 31 year old with no medical history so all should be okay. Is all he said similar to what you guys have heard before surgery? and is the whole thing about the meds and permanent damage true? Please help.
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620923 tn?1452915648
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi, from what I have read from other's that have had the surgery, it depends on the dr as to how much hair is shaved.No one can say how quickly the chiari may progress.I hope others that have had surgery will offer some info.

Good luck
Godspeed
"selma"
Helpful - 0
555358 tn?1292532061
As a general rule; Yes, waiting can be very dangerous and cause severe problems. Not to scare you, but there is no cure for Chiari. There are pain meds that can help with pain, there's therapy that can help with over-all body symptoms for awhile, but none of those cures it.

Even surgery doesn't actually cure it, but it does bring about the most relief from pain and problems. And the surgery can cure Syringomyelia. Surgery is the best option for a recovery - you still are considered to have Chiari, but it can give you much needed relief and can last for years or decades or even the rest of your life.

Nothing else works anywhere near as well as the operation - in My Humble Opinion, everything else is just putting off surgery!

Make sure you have a Neurosurgeon that is a Chiari specialist. Make sure you are comfortable with him/her. Then try not to worry. At that point it's all in God's and the Doctors hands. There's nothing to do but wait - I know that's the hardest part, but here I am typing to you and I'm 7 months post op! You'll be fine.

As for the haircut . . .it's just that - a haircut! It'll grow back out. I'm a guy so I can get away a little better even with being completely shaved bald, but you'll only have a section of the back of your head shaved - if you're hair is any length at all, it will hardly show anyway. Ask Lovemygirls to show you her scar/hair. She's about 5 weeks or so post op and you wouldn't know without staring at the back of her head looking for the scar.

You'll get progressively stronger day by day. It'll take about a month or two before you'll feel like working, - the first week or so is pretty bad, but by week three you'll be able to get out and about some (you'll still get tired quickly), and my the fourth or fifth week, you'll be able to make extended outings, and by the sixth week or so you can return to light duty work. All these times may vary of course.

Keep in mind that I'm not a health care specialist in any way, just someone that's been through it and talked to other's that have been through it.

We zipperheads have to stick together :)
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