Life Changing

Valentine’s Day 2009 started the canoe trip of life time. Actually it was like being on a 15 mile rough water ride. That y day everything started changing everything. Stepped out that morning to sneak up my parents in my pj’s which should have been a red flag…lol I fell off the steps and landed on a brick. Let me add the steps were dry and there was no snow. Finally, I got up and drove myself up to my parents. Came in the door  and my dad says you look rough (you think) my reply was I think I broke my arm. Dad says let me fix you some breakfast (I am thinking breakfast; I am in pain or not listing) you just have to know my family. Here comes mom; she says what’s wrong with you my reply was I think I broke my arm oh well get dressed. Ok at this point no one is hearing me of course.

 I get dressed and go the hospital. Now the doctor says you have a clean break and let me add this is Saturday. Doc says call Dr. on Monday and get a appt. to get your arm set.  Monday rolls around and they cant get me into until Tues. Ok I am thinking what is another day.  I finally get the Dr and he says I can’t fix your arm. It’s a rare break & you need surgery. So the nurse comes in and says here your get appt with specialist in 7 days.

Finally I see the surgeon and have surgery. He asks how did you fall? Long story made short my feet were numb and I couldn’t feel the steps. Does that happen often? Sometimes I reply.

At this point I don’t have a family doctor. So I see a doctor I worked with years before. By now it’s April and I see the Doc and he says not to worry you or scare you but I am sure you have MS. We need to do an MRI. Now it’s two MRI later plus few other tests and it is May. Doc calls and says I need to see you tomorrow. My reply cant do tomorrow what about next week. See I like to avoid things.

Sitting at doc office I finally get called back. Doc comes in and says we found what is wrong with you. It’s called Chiari.  Ok this I knew nothing about and I couldn’t even pronounce it. I was told it was rare and that I had it all my life. Chiari (pronounced kee-AR-ee) I malformation as you can see it isn’t like it sounds. Research it and found a doctor that specializes in it.

Chiari changed my life…In retrospect, I had symptoms most of my life and didn’t realize it. Headaches are the longest symptom I have had. Doctors told my parents, when I was a teenager stress is what caused my headaches.  In my early 30’s I began having weird symptoms: my hands & feet would go numb for no reason, headaches everyday and extreme pain when I strained or laugh, and my right eye would blur at times. Doctor told me there wasn’t anything wrong with.

In September of 2009 I had decompression surgery (brain surgery). If you had told me a year before I was going to have brain surgery (I would have laugh). Surgery didn’t go as planned but I came through it. In April of 2010 I had a wreck and hit my head.  Things were changing by December of 2010 I had to leave work. Now I am disable (well retire).  

Now I am learning to do things different…needless to say the canoe trip has hit calm water but hasn’t stop lol.