Decision made --- surgery oct 18th

[lydelia]

After a lot of thought and a lot of research, I have decided to go ahead with surgery. From everything that I have read, I know that this surgery won't 'cure' me, but I want to stop the progression of this thing before it gets really bad. I have been keeping a pain journal, and have noticed an increase in symptoms, severity and recovery time from them, and I decided that it was time to put a stop to it. Plus, as linnielou's physician said, I am in good health right now and it seemed foolish to me to wait until my body was completely jacked before I had this done. I feel that my body will heal better when it is healthier, than it would if I waited. My doctor agreed with me too. He said the same things and seemed relieved that I knew, realistically, what to expect the outcome to be.

He also showed me my CINE MRI. You can see the constriction at the front of the foramen magnum (white, the fade to black at the foramen magnum and then white --- CSF to no CSF then CSF) and the bacl from 1/3 of the way down the back of my skull and all the way down my neck .... just black. No flow. No wonder I am having the issues I am having. Also, he said since I am having trouble swallowing, that that could mean that my brain stem is being compressed along with everything else and that surgery is probably a good idea.

Anyway, now I am relieved and nervous. I will update again for sure closer to time. Dr. Joseph Cheng at Vanderbilt Hospital in TN is doing my surgery. He and his nurse are very knowledgable about it.

[selmaS]

  Sending u all the best wishes and prayers for a positive outcome and smooth recovery.

[lydelia]

I'll have to ask about that. I had a little pain ball thing with one c-section I had, and not with the first one, and it made and enormous difference. I will have to make sure I ask about that.

Thanks for the heads up.

[linnielou232]

I am so glad to hear that you have made your decision.  This is the hardest part.  One thing to ask which I found out in my first surgery they didn't have me hooked up to a pain machine.  They gave me shot every ten minutes.  Please make sure you ask you Dr that you have the pain med machine hooked up  to you after surgery.  Not having it the first surgery was a night mare because it seemed forever before I got pain relief.  My other surgeries they had it hooked up and it made a lot of difference.  Thing's we don't think about before surgery