Chiari Center in Milwaukee WI

[JenniferBennett]

Just wanted to find out if anyone has ever been the the Chiari Center in Milwaukee Wisconsin. I sent off an email to them and will wait to hear back. They sent me a form to download to rate my pains in different areas of my body. And the they want you to send your MRI's up there. If they see something on the MRI they will set up an appointment for you to come up. They say you will basically be there for 2-3 days for the exam and then tests. I just wanted to find out if anyone knew if it was a good place to go. Right now it seems to be the closest for me. Also, does anyone track all of your symptoms in a journal they have on here? Do I put things down that are bothering me no matter how small they are??
Thank you
Jennier

[shanmomof3]

I think you will be very happy with dr. Heffez he is wonderful! I had my decompression surgery on May 24th this year and I am doing SO much better. granted I still have problems but i also have cervical stenosis and EDS but my symptoms have really decreased since surgery so that I can actually function again. We even have a Dr. Heffez Fan Club on facebook

[JenniferBennett]

I should be hearing from their office by the end of the week. I wish I could afford to go to his office and then come home with something that isn't going to really fix the problem but just ease up the symptoms. I would rather just have the surgery if I needed it and be done with it.
I am not a fan of surgery by any means. I have been through way to many already only being 31 years old. I must admit that I haven't been scared of any of my other surgeries but this one worries me a bit. I am very guarded with my neck and head even when I go to a chiropractor, takes me a long time to relax. So having a surgery around that area scares me a bit. But if it would give me some of my life back I would do it ten times over. I have basically been in bed for two years with only going out of the house once every few weeks. Every time I do anything I am down in bed for several days with headaches, migraines, neck and shoulder pain that won't stop, as I am sure you all understand.
I am just hoping for good news from Dr. Heffez that he can in fact do something for me. I have been praying every night and asking everyone I know to pray also that he can help me.

[kricklekrin]

Congratulations on a successful surgery.  I'm happy to hear you like the WCC and Dr. Heffez.  

When do you get to play soccer again?  Did this activity bring on a lot of symptoms before your surgery?

Again, Congrats!

[kricklekrin]

I believe Chiari is hereditary.  I have three cousins with chiari.  One had surgery.  

Dr. Heffez showed me my problem on his laptop at my first visit.  He didn't talk a lot about surgery the first visit.  He sent me home to wear a neck collar for cervical myelopathy.  He wanted to see what symptoms, if any were caused by this problem.  It did help with my neck and shoulder pain.  I also put it on when I get a Chiari headache.  It seems to take some of the pressure away.  Maybe it just keeps me from moving my head and neck and this helps with the pain.  

I contacted him after I wore the neck collar for about 6 weeks.  He wanted to see me again if I continued to have symptoms or any new symptoms.  I procrastinated, because I'm being very slow at accepting that I need surgery.  I will have more tests, and be talking about surgery at this next appointment.  

I too worry about my middle child.  He gets headaches with visual symptoms and numbness in his face and arms.  I will request a MRI for him in the near future.  He is a football player, and I worry about this a little.  Better safe than sorry.  

I wish you the best.

[JenniferBennett]

So when you seen him did he tell you that you needed surgery? I sent everything off to his office on Tuesday and Renee told me that it would be about a week before I heard back on if I needed an appointment or not. I go to bed every night praying that I have Chiari. At least then there would be a name to everything that has been happening to me.

So is Chiari hereditary? I hadn't read anywhere that it was but I was wondering. My mom has had lots of similar problems but she just though all of these things were coming on because she worked to hard and now she just blames it on arthritis. And my 15year old daughter took a spill off of a horse last year and now has horrible neck pain all the time and gets headaches pretty often. So far though that is the only thing going on with her. If it is hereditary I am giong to go ahead and have an MRI done of her also just to be on the safe side. Because if there is a possibility that she has it also at least we would have caught it early.

Good Luck to you too

[kricklekrin]

Jennifer,
I will be seeing Dr. Hefezz again this month.  I was happy the way the first appointment went with his Center and him.  

I went through the same thing with doctors making me feel like the symptoms are all in my head.  Guess what, they are...  

My GP didn't even think I needed to know Chiari showed up on my MRI.  I decided to order my own disc and report and when I read this I was so upset.  It's in my family.  My doctor immediately told me my Chiari is not symptomatic.   The MRI was ordered to rule out MS.  I have three cousins with Chiari.  Only one surgery so far.  

Your not crazy honey.  You just need to be your own advocate.  I can only hope that individuals who are attending medical school these days are more educated in Chiari and the symptoms.  Most GP's and Neurologist just don't know enough about Chiari.    
But, this does not give them the right to be closed minded and dismiss your concerns and symptoms.  

Good luck  

[soccero]

I just had surgery with dr heffez on July 22 I recomed the wcc any day!
Molly

[JenniferBennett]

I am glad to hear that. I would give anything to just have a headache hear and there but these daily headaches and migraines wear on a person. My memory is horrible and I know it is frustrating for my kids and husbnd. Actually, all of the symptoms are hard on them. I am to the point where I don't get out of bed most days becaue when I do it just makes everything worse. Today has been an okay day so I just got done helping to clean the kitchen and now my shoulder, neck, and head are really starting to bother me so I am probably going to head back to the bed so I can hopefully get things to calm down a bit. I keep telling my husband to go to bed at night and pray that I have Chiari. That sounds so bad but at least after two and a half years I could go to a Dr. and say that I am not crazy. When I go to a Dr. no matter where it is and tell them about everything that is going on with me they treat me like I am crazy or looking for drugs. Keep us posted on how things are going for you
Jennifer

[sheila53213]

So far my daily headaches are getting better. tingles and pins/needles in my arms and feet. vision is getting better. memory is so so. still have issues with that. strength in my left side is improving. Those were the big ones for me. And when I get my migraines now my heart doesn't thump in my head. So that is huge for me. My balance is well....lack of a better word....still shaky. I think that is all I have noticed so far. But like I said...it's still early.

[JenniferBennett]

I sent them an email and just waiting to hear back from them. I have everything ready to go as soon as I hear from them. What types of symptoms did you have that are improving?
Jennifer

[sheila53213]

I've had my surgery with Dr. Heffez at the CC in Milwaukee. I can't thank them enough for what he has for me so far. I just had my surgery on June 28th and so far so good. Now granted not everything is gone but I am improving day to day. I would recommend going there. If I had to go through this whole process again I would definitely pick them again. If you need to know anything else, let me know. I know a couple others on here have been there and have had surgery with Dr. Heffez.

Sheila