Today, May 15th, is the one year anniversary of my life changing brain surgery. It was about this exact time last year that I was in NY in a frigidly cold operating room full of strangers all talking to me and poking me and putting monitors on me. It was so intimidating laying there and seeing all these people running around trying to get ready for this major brain surgery that was going to be on ME! I remember having a conversation with the anesthesiologist about where we were from (she was from SC). She was just being so nice and trying to help relax me with normal conversation before she put me off into peaceful land. It was the scariest day of my life. I knew I had one of the best neurosurgeons in the world (literally) doing the surgery but ultimately God was in control. I just prayed that His plan for me included waking up from the surgery and feeling better so I could enjoy the life He has given me with my husband and beautiful children.
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| MRI Scan of a Chiari Malformation |
On November 28, 2012 I found out that I had a rare (but less rare than once thought) hind brain condition called Chiari 1 Malformation. I most likely was born with it. It is actually a skull malformation where the skull doesn't form properly in the womb and then as you grow your brain doesn't fit, so it herniates down into the Foramen Magnum, pressing on the spinal cord, arteries, and
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| Surgical Site |
nerves. It blocks the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid to and from
the brain as well, which as you can imagine causes all kinds of issues. I was a lucky one. My case was severe enough that I needed surgery if I ever wanted to live as close to a normal life as possible, but not as severe as many people who experience this debilitating condition. The surgery involved a 3-5 inch incision from the middle of the back of my neck to just above the hair line, a quarter size craniectomy, duroplasty, laminectomy of C1, and (the scariest part to me) cerebellar tonsillectomy. I was in the hospital for about 4 days.
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| Warren and I on his birthday 10/9/13 |
I can honestly say, and I think my husband would agree, that the recovery period has been much more difficult than ever imagined. Not because of pain (and I have had pain) or difficulties from the surgery (I had none:-), but because I was hit with depression like nothing I had ever experienced before. It was terrible and I am still recovering from that part of it even to this day. I don't know that everyone experiences this issue after this surgery or even any brain surgery, but I did and it was scary. The thing that I have in
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| Warren and I in NY |
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my life that has been more of a life saver than any medication, is faith in my almighty God and Savior. He pulled me through the first bout immediately after the surgery, sent me to a foreign country to show me His will for my life through the people there, and has shown me His love over and over again since I came home. The second saving grace has been my husband. I really am not sure where I would be if I didn't have him as my husband. He has been so supportive, loving, patient, and nurturing through this entire journey. I don't deserve any of the love he has given me. I have put him through hell and back but he has never given up on me and for that I am very grateful.
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| Thanksgiving 2013 |
I have since had several MRI's in which all the post-operative anatomy looks "pristine", as my surgeon put it. I just finished up with physical therapy to help with the neck pain I've had and though I can't ever ride roller coasters or run marathons, I think I am going to be a-ok. I thank God for my life everyday and love my family more everyday. There are people on a Chiari support group site that I am on that have taken their own lives because of this condition and my hope is that maybe one person who is experiencing a debilitating condition such as this might come across this post and it would shine a bit of hope into their lives.
