"dead"arms

[hartleyhare68]

Hi
This is my 1st post , I have Chiari Malformation type 1 and cervical syringmyelia. I am due to have surgery on 21st March and am scared to death!!, I am finding that when I wake in the morning now that my arms are "dead" and heavy, when I move my finger the feeling returns, I also have a cape like ache across the base of my neck and shoulders, I am also loosing my grip on occassions, is this normal? , also can anyone tell me what to expect after the surgery?

Many thanks
Debbie

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

  As the other members stated, the symptoms u described r quite typical for those not only with chiari, but also with a syrinx.

As for what u might expect with surgery or post op, that is a little more difficult to say as we r all different, but u r welcome to read out journals on our experiences....

  Make sure u know if u have ne other related issues b4 surgery like sleep apnea, tethered cord, ehlers-danlos as they can affect how u feel and how u heal,.

    What u should expect post op is to rest, and that u may feel great, but that can be the meds...and u have to move forward slowly...
U need to rest, rest and then rest some more.....


    "selma"

[linnielou232]

Welcome to our forum.  It's a nice forum to come to for information, support and understanding.  It is scary heading into this surgery, but having positive thougts help.  Look forward to the day after you have surgery and hope you don't have heavy arm's anymore.  As for any of our surgeries you will hear a lot of different stroies and journey's because we all heal so differently.  For me I am now 17 mths post op and had to go through more surgeries due to my own respond to surgery, but I am very grateful for the outcome.  The issues don't go away for some of us, but life does get better.  We are here for you through your journey and alway's remember your not alone.  
Welcome to our Chairian world.  :)

[irislita]

I know exactely what u mean by dead arms...i had it for years without knowing it is sth to worry about...how many times i woke up thinking they cut off my arm or they died.the things u r mention are not normal in general,but here in the chiari family they are quite common.the surgery outcome is different for everyone...it can stop progress and in the best case it reliefs u from ur symptoms.