After surgery, does it get worse before it gets better?

[tracycoll]

I had my chiari decompression on April 29th 2011. About two weeks later, I went to the ER because of a migraine and found I had a very small CSF leak. My surgeon prescribed me a steroid pack and said he wasn't too worried because the leak was so small. When I went back for my follow up MRI, to my complete surprise my doctor told me the leak actually got bigger. He discussed with me that he suggested I have the surgery to close the leak, but he was hesitant because even though the leak had gotten bigger I wasn't complaining of symptoms. But we decided to go ahead with the surgery because I was going to be leaving out of state for college and we but agreed it would be best to take care of it now to avoid any problems in the future. Well, it has been two months since the surgery to close the leak and some of my old symptoms are coming back. I feel bad to call my surgeon because I do remember before I even had the surgery I was told of the risks. I was also told that sometimes it could take up to a year to completely feel the benefits of surgery, which gives me hope. So I guess part of this post was just to vent to people who could relate to what I am going through and part is to ask if anyone had the experience of feeling better after a year? Thanks in advance :)      

[selmaS]

  The problem with small slow moving leaks is ur body adjusts to them over time and that is y u did not really feel it.....

I had a leak after having an epidural for childbirth....and I was in misery.

Have u had a MRI since the surgery to fix the leak?...if so how long has it been?

     "selma"

[linnielou232]

I know about leaks.  I had 3 of them.  It is flustrating, but it is a good thing you got it fixed.  I never got nausuea, but head just swelled up like a balloon.  At first I thought it   was normal and I just just healing until the pressure headaches came back.  I know I couldn't pick up anything or I couldn't  bend over.  Which I still can't do today the 27th of this month will  be my ann. of my last surgery.  I'm still not healed all the way and now looking into a pain clinic.  Just take it easy and as my Dr tell's me every time I go see him #1 is patient's.  Which a lot of us don't have because we just want to feel better.  I wish you well, but also patience.

[tracycoll]

After the first surgery I defintely knew something was wrong because I got the migraine, I could hardly move my neck and was vomiting. And that's what led to finding the small leak. In adition to being prescribed the steroid pack, I was told to just rest and take it easy until my follow up. There was talk of a blood patch, but my surgeon said he didn't think it would be needed because of how tiny the leak was. After about two weeks I was feeling pretty normal. So much better than I have in years. I would get nausea sometimes, but that was it. I thought because I felt so great the leak must have closed up. But when I got my follow up MRI that's when he hit me with the news it had gotten bigger. At that point there was no talk of a blood patch anymore just talk of surgery to fix it.

Now, I'm not having pressure headaches, but there more like headaches that hurt at the front of my head. Sometimes it's a tingly feeling. No fever. It just makes me wonder if it was even worth having the surgery to fix the leak if I wasn't feeling like this before. But the worry was that if they didn't fix the leak, it would have kept getting bigger and it would have caught up to me eventually.

[selmaS]

  Hi, I am so sorry u r not feeling better.....

When ur Dr found ur first leak, were u told to lie flat and drink plenty of water to try to get the leak to resolve on its own?

Even after it was found to have gotten bigger, I wonder y, they did not try a blood patch first, b4 surgery....and if again if u were instructed to lie flat to try to keep the leak from reoccurring?

  I know u r saying u still feel bad after the surgery to fix the leak, but can u tell us just how u feel?

R u HA's worse then b4 ur first surgery?...r they positional?...do u have a fever with the HA's?...r they pressure HA's?....

It can actually take up to 2 yrs for the nerves to heal completely...we r all diff and heal at diff rates...so for some this may be too long a period and for others not long enuff.

I will tell u this, I could see an improvement from 1 yr post op to my 2 yr....u do continue to improve...at least I did.

But, u also have to look at what u r doing daily.....

      "selma"